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ADDRESS 


DELIVERED   TO    THE   PEOPLE   OF 


GOSHEN,     CONNECTCUT,/ 


AT    THEIR    FIRST 


CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION, 


September  28,  1838. 


BY  REV.  GRANT  POWERS,  A.  M. 

OF      GOSHEN,      CONN. 


HARTFORD. 

PrjNTED  BY  ELIHU   GEER,   26^   ST^TE-STREET, 

18  3  9. 


MAY  X  1905 

At  a  meeting  of  the  proprietors  of  the  common  and  undivided  lands  in  the 
town  of  Goshen,  holden  on  the  14th  day  of  February,  1839.  Voted,  that  the 
thanks  of  the  proprietors  be  presented  to  Rev.  Grant  Powers,  for  his  Address 
delivered  at  the  celebration  of  the  first  Centennial  Anniversary  of  the  settle- 
ment of  this  town,  on  the  28th  of  September  last ;  and  that  a  copy  be  request- 
ed for  publication. 

ABRAHAM  NORTON,  Moderator, 
LEWIS  M.  NORTON,  Clerk. 


Gentlemen, — I  have  received  the  gratifying  vote  of  the  proprietors,  passed 
on  the  14th  inst.,  relative  to  ray  Centennial  Address,  and  I  do  assure  you  that 
any  services  of  mine  which  may  be  requisite  to  further  your  wishes  in  regard 
to  its  publication  will  be  cheerfully  rendered. 

Most  respectfully  yours, 

GRANT  POWERS. 

Abraham  Norton,  Moderator. 

Lewis  M.  Norton,  Clerk. 
Goshen,  Feb.  18th,  1839. 


Note. — The  Principal  authorities,  consulted  in  support  of  this  address,  are 
here  inserted  once  for  all.  Mather's  Magnalia  ;  Trumbull's  History  of  Conn. ; 
Marshall's  Life  of  Washington  ;  Historical  Collections  of  Conn.;  Town  Re- 
cords  ;  Dea.  Lewis  M.  Norton  ;  and  Old  men  of  the  town. 


9. 


A, 


r- 


ADDRESS 


America  has  been  denominated  the  New  World,  and  tliis 
with  much  propriety.     She  wais  new,  p^elatively,  in  respect  to 
ihe  time  of  her  discovery  by  Columbus.     Five  thousand,  five 
viiundred  years  nearly,  had  elapsed   from  the  creation  before 
this  vast  continent  held  a  place  in  the  catalogue  of  existences 
among  civilized  men  ;  and  we  have  no  sufficient  evidence,  per- 
haps, to  authorise  the  conclusion  that  the  inhabitants  of  her 
sister  continent  seriously  contemplated   her  existence.     She 
was  new,  because  from  the  time  of  her  discovery,  the  minds  of 
civilized  nations  in  Europe  were  turned  into  a  different  channel 
of  thought,  and  enterprise  spread  her  wings  for  the  far  West, 
instead  of  the  East.     She  was  neio ;  for,  until  this  time,  the 
spherical  figure  of  the  Earth  had  not  been  demonstrated,  and 
the  sciences  of  Geography  and  Astronomy  were  necessarily 
limited  and  imperfect :  but  from  this  time  a  new  impulse  was 
given  to  these  sciences,  and  navigation  and  commerce  imme- 
diately quit  their  narrow  track  by  the  rock  bound  coast,  and 
bomided  away  upon  the  dark  expanse  of  mighty  Oceans.     She 
was  new,  because  the  blessings  chartered  to  civilized  man  by  a 
beneficent  Providejice,  were  by  this   discovery  greatly  in- 
creased, not  only  by  extending  the  limits  of  his  habitation,  but 
also  by  adding  to  his  means  of  subsistence,  and  to  his  luxuries, 
both  from  the  soil  and  from  the  chase.     Again,  she  was  new 
because  liere  was  to  commence  a  new  order  of  things.     Man, 
by  his  translation  from  the  old  world  to  the  new,  was  to  drop 
the  shackles,  which  ages  of  ignorance  and  wickedness  had  fab- 
ricated and  imposed  on  him,  and  to  test  the  new  principles  of 
self-government,  and  to  feel  his  responsibility  to  God  alone  for 


his  reli^ous  faith.     This  was  indeed  an  era  in  the  world,  espe- 
cially  as  it  relates  to  civil  and  religious  institutions.     And  of 
the  truth  of  this,  the  enlightened  and  virtuous  of  both  hemis- 
pheres, will   become  more  and  more  impressed,  the  farther 
they  recede  from  the  point  of  their  separation,  and  as  events 
transpire,  both  in  the  old  and  new  world.     It  is  by  no  means 
strange,  then,  that  the  history  of  that  individual  whom  Provi- 
dence raised  up  to  bless  the  world  by  his  discoveries,  and  the 
subsequent  events  in  Europe  w^hich  led  to  the  settlement  of 
New  England  by  the  church  of  the  living  God,  should  be  read 
with  intense  interest  by  every  friend  to  humanity  ;  by  every 
admirer  of  God's  ways-.     It  would  be  peculiarly  gratifying  to 
me  to  take  special  notice  on  this  occasion  of  the  incipient  steps 
that  were  taken  by  our  Pilgrim  Fathers  in  the  settlement  of 
New  England,  and  to  call  on  you  to  adore  the  wonders  of 
God's  love  and  mercy  towards  his  people,  as  exhibited  in  his 
calling  them  out  from  a  furnace  of  affliction,  and  in  planting 
them  in  a  land  of  freedom,  and  by  the  side  of  "  Sweet  Waters." 
But  I  must  forego   this  pleasure,  as  time  would  fail  me,  and 
limit  my  remarks  to  the  settlement  of  this  State,  and  the  pro- 
gress of  this  Colony ;  and  this  I  shall  do  as  preliminary  to  a 
more  specific  history  of  this  town.     A  httle  more  than  two 
centuries  asjo,  this  entire  State  was  a  wilderness,  an  unbroken 
forest,  with  the  exception  of  limited  prairies  on  dry  soils  and 
bottom-lands,  the  result  of  annual  fires  kindled  by  the  tenants 
of  these  hills  and  vallies.     Every  species  of  forest  tree,  com- 
mon to  other  states  in  New  England,  here  grew  in  great  per- 
fection, and  the  butternut,  button- wood,  sassafras  and  white- 
wood  trees,  exceeded,  it  is  thought,  in  proportional  number, 
and  in  magnitude,  the  same  species  of  the  North  and  East. 
Wild  fruits  of  all  kinds  that  are  indigenous  to  this  section  of 
our  country,  were  produced  in  great  abundance,  and  animals 
of  the  land,  of  the  water,  and  of  the  air,  were  proportionally 
numerous.     And  so  were  the  men  of  fierce  countenance  and 
of  idomitable  spirits.     Some  have  estimated  their  number  to 
have  been  twenty  thousand,  and  their  warriors  four  thousand, 
a  greater  number,  it  is  presumed,  than  could  have  been  found 


on  an  area  of  equal  extent  in  any  other  part  of  New  England. 
Thus  had  things  remamed  for  unknown  ages,  nor  had  a  single 
adventurer  from  the  old  world  discovered  the  channel  of  the 
long  and  beautiful  Connecticut,  even  when  Plymouth  and 
Massachusetts  Colonies  had  attained  to  a  good  degree,  and 
Manhadoes  or  New  York  was  rising  to  some  distinction. 

But  in  1631,  eleven  years  after  the  settlement  of  Plymouth, 
Wah-quimaceet,  a  Sachem  of  the  Connecticut  valley,  came  to 
the  Plymouth  colony,  and  thence  he  went  to  Boston,  soliciting 
the  governors  of  these  colonies,  to  make  settlements  in  the 
Connecticut  valley,  promising  as  an  inducement,  to  supply  the 
colonies  with  corn,  annually,  and  he  would  make  them  a  pres- 
ent of  "eighty  beaver-skins."  The  governor  of  Massachusetts 
declined  the  proffer,  but  Mr.  Winslow,  the  governor  of  Ply- 
mouth, came  on  in  a  ship,  discovered  the  river  and  the  adja- 
cent parts,  and  learned  the  true  cause  of  the  Sachem's 
solicitude  for  an  English  settlement  in  the  valley.  He  was 
expecting  an  invasion  from  the  terrible  Pequots,  at  New  Lon- 
don, and  he  thought  he  might  find  his  safety  from  an  English 
settlement  in  his  territory.  The  next  year,  1632,  the  people 
of  Plymouth  made  still  further  discoveries,  and  fixed  a  spot 
for  a  trading-house  ;  and  this  was  in  Windsor,  a  little  below  the 
entrance  of  the  Farmington  river  into  the  Connecticut.  In 
1 633,  John  Oldham,  of  Dorchester,  and  three  others  in  com- 
pany with  him,  came  through  the  wilderness  to  Connecticut, 
the  first  Europeans  who  ever  performed  this  tour.  They 
were  hailed  by  the  Sachem  with  joy,  and  received  a  present 
in  beaver.  Oldham  found  Indian  hemp  growing  on  the  mead- 
ows spontaneously,  and  in  great  abundance,  and  on  trial, 
found  it  to  be  superior  to  the  hemp  of  European  growth. 
The  same  year,  Wilham  Holmes  of  Plymouth,  prepared  a  frame 
for  a  trading-house,  at  Windsor,  and  putting  it  on  board  a 
vessel,  with  materials  for  covering  it,  sailed  for  the  Connecti- 
cut river,  but  did  not  arrive  till  September.  In  the  mean 
time,  as  early  as  June  of  that  year,  the  Dutch  from  New  York 
entered  the  Connecticut  river,  purchased  of  a  Pequot  captain, 
twenty  acres  of  land  in  Hartford,  built  a  fort,  and  mounted 


6 

two  pieces  of  cannon  to  command  the  river.     They  claimed 
Connecticut   on  the   ground  of  prior   discovery,  and  never 
wholly   relinquished  their  claim  until    1664.     When  Holmes 
appeared  in  the  river,  the  Dutch  stood  by   their  cannon,  for- 
bade his  proceeding,  and  commanded  him  to  strike  liis  colors, 
uttering  the  most  vehement  threats,  that  they  would  sink  him 
if  he  did  not  obey.     Holmes,  in  true  English  blood,  replied  that 
"he  had  a  commission  from  the  Governor  of  Plymouth  to  pro- 
ceed up  the  river,  and  he  should  do  so" — keeping  his  sails  ex- 
panded to  the  breeze,  and  leaving  his  antagonists  to  their  own 
vauntings.     The  great  object  sought  by  these  rival  Colonies, 
was  exclusive  trade  with  the  Indians,  which  was  at  this  time 
exceedingly  lucrative.  The  Dutch  purchased  of  them  ten  thou- 
sand beavers  annually,  and  the  Massachusetts  and  Plymouth 
Colonies  sometimes  freighted  ships  to  England  ;  the  estimated 
value  of  furs  amounting  to  a  thousand  pounds  sterling,  to  a 
single  ship.     Holmes  proceeded  to  Windsor,  erected  the  house, 
covered  it,  fortified  it,  and  leaving  men  for  a  garrison  during 
the  winter,  returned  to  Plymouth  in  October.     This  was  the 
first  house  ever  erected  in  this  State.     In  1634,  a  few  men 
came  on  from  Watertown  in  Massachusetts,  and  built  them 
huts  at  Wethersfield,  and  this  is  the  oldest  town  in  the  State. 
In  1635,  a  number  of  men  from  Dorchester  came  to  Windsor, 
built  them  log  houses,  and  prepared  to  bring  on  their  families. 
Men  from  Watertown  did  so  likewise  at  Wethersfield.     In  the 
fall  of  this  year,  these  men  returned  to  Massachusetts  for  their 
families,  and  on  the  1 5th  of  October,  about  sixty  men,  women, 
and  children,  with  horses,  cattle,  and  swine,  commenced  their 
journey  through  the  wilderness.     Says  Dr.  Trumbull — "  after 
a  tedious  journey  through  swamps,  and  rivers,  over  mountains, 
and  rough  ground,  which  were  passed  with  great  difficulty 
and  fatigue,  they  arrived  at  the  places  of  their  destination."* 
But  they  consumed  so  much  time  on  their  journey,  and  the 
winter  setting  in  unusually  early,  they  were  unable  to  trans- 
port more  than  a  part  of  their  cattle  across  the  river  that 

*  Deacon  Lewis  M.  Norton  and  his  wife,  of  tliis  town,  are  each  of  the  fifth 
generation  on  the  Maternal  side,  from  one  of  these  early  adventurers — John 
Mills,  from  Windsor,  (England.) 


season;  Connecticut  river  being  frozen  over  by  the  15th  of 
November.  These  emigrants  had  put  their  provisions  for  the 
winter,  and  their  household  furniture,  on  board  vessels  at  Bos- 
ton, which  were  to  sail  round  and  meet  them  on  the  river ; 
but  some  of  these  were  shipwrecked  in  the  Sound,  and  those 
which  outrode  the  tempest,  could  not  ascend  the  river,  by  rea- 
son of  the  ice,  and  left  the  Pilgrims  in  a  forlorn  condition.  By 
the  first  of  December,  provisions  generally  failed,  and  death 
stared  them  all  in  the  face.  Thirteen  men  set  out  to  retrace 
their  way  to  Boston,  and  after  ten  days'  march,  twelve  arrived 
there  ;  one  fell  through  the  ice  in  passing  a  river,  and  was 
drowned.  Seventy  men,  women,  and  children,  left  Windsor, 
and  Wethersfield,  and  travelled  in  dead  winter  from  fifty  to 
sixty  miles  to  the  mouth  of  the  river,  to  find  their  provisions  ; 
but  not  finding  them,  they  entered  on  board  a  vessel  lying 
there,  and  sailed  for  Boston,  where  they  arrived  in  a  few  days. 
Those  who  remained  at  Windsor  and  Wethersfield,  subsisted 
on  acrons,  and  grains.  But  many  of  their  cattle  perished,  al- 
though that  part  of  them,  that  were  left  on  the  east  side  of  the 
river,  and  had  no  human  aid,  were  in  better  condition  in  the 
spring,  than  the  others.  But  notwithstanding  these  dangers 
and  hardships  experienced  by  those  who  first  attempted  the 
settlement  of  this  Colony,  those  who  had  returned  to  Massa- 
chusetts during  the  winter,  and  others  who  had  meditated  a 
removal  thither,  resolved  on  transplanting  themselves,  as  soon 
as  their  cattle  could  subsist  on  the  buds  and  leaves  of  the  forest, 
during  their  journey.  Accordingly,  about  the  first  of  June, 
1636,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hooker,  and  Mr.  Stone  his  colleague,  and 
about  a  hundred  men,  women  and  children,  and  a  hundred 
and  sixty  head  of  cattle,  took  their  leave  of  Newtown,  (now 
Cambridge,)  and  travelled  over  the  same  ground,  which  the 
pioneers  had  travelled  the  year  before,  subsisting  principally 
on  the  milk  of  their  kine.  Those  of  this  company,  who  had 
not  already  placed  their  families  at  Windsor  or  Wethersfield, 
located  themselves  at  Hartford  ;  and  thus  in  the  space  of  little 
more  than  two  years,  the  three  towns,  Wethersfield,  Windsor, 
and  Hartford,  became  permanently  settled.     But  they  had 


8 

yet  to  experience  great  trials.  In  less  than  one  year  they 
were  compelled  to  declare  war  against  the  Pequots,  a  power- 
ful tribe  of  Indians,  inhabiting  the  present  district  of  New  Lon- 
don and  Groton,  a  tribe  which  had  subjugated  nearly  all  the 
tribes  upon  the  Connecticut  river,  and  were  determined  to  ex- 
terminate the  English  as  fast  as  they  came  into  the  pleasant 
valley.  They  had  already  massacred  about  thirty  persons, 
putting  some  to  the  most  dreadful  tortures.  Accordingly,  in 
May,  1637,  these  three  towns,  Wethersfield,  Hartford,  and 
Windsor,  relying  upon  Massachusetts  for  aid,  declared  war 
against  the  Pequots  ;  and  in  ten  days,  ninety  men  had  embarked 
for  Pequot  harbor,  and  in  sixteen  days  from  their  embarkation, 
six  hundred  Pequots  were  slain,  their  fort  destroyed,  and  the 
renmant  of  their  nation  were  flying  in  every  direction  ;  and  this 
without  the  assistance  of  a  single  man  from  Massachusetts,  or 
Plymouth,  and  while  the  Mohegans,  their  Indian  allies,  stood 
aghast  at  the  instant  anniliilation  of  a  tribe,  which  they  had 
long  considered  invincible!  It  may  be  seriously  doubted, 
whether  the  annals  of  history  record  a  campaign  so  brief,  so 
disproportional  in  number  with  the  enemy  to  be  encountered, 
and  yet  a  result  so  successful !  It  not  only  annihilated  this 
potent  enemy,  but  it  spread  terror  at  the  English  name  in  other 
tribes,  and  secured  a  peace,  with  slight  interruptions,  for 
nearly  forty  years.  But  these  pioneers  in  the  wilderness  were 
men  of  whole  hearts ;  they  were  lions  !  They  shrunk  not  at 
danger,  or  fatigue,  and  when  stimg  to  the  quick  by  such  hor- 
rid butcheries  upon  the  bodies  of  their  families  and  friends,  and 
when  called  to  act  in  defence  of  their  lives,  and  of  all  that  was 
dear  to  them  on  earth,  they  did  not  strike  as  those  who  beat 
the  air.  They  did  not  war  for  amusement ;  they  did  not  wear 
an  epaulette  for  honor,  or  bear  arms  for  emolument,  but  for 
life  and  liberty  !  And  whatever  we  may  think  of  the  horrid 
nature  of  war  in  general,  and  even  the  picture  of  it  is  revolting 
to  every  principle  of  humanity,  I  see  not  how  our  Fathers 
could  have  done  otherwise,  and  preserved  their  own  lives  and 
the  lives  of  their  families.  Treaties  they  had  made,  and  they 
were  all  violated.     They  came  here  at  the  solicitation  of  the 


9 

original  owners  of  the  soil.  They  gave  a  fair  equivalent  for 
every  foot  of  soil  they  occupied,  and  had  done  what  they  could 
to  bless  the  Indians.  They  had  prayed,  and  labored  for  the 
salvation  of  these  heathen  ;  they  had  prayed  to  be  delivered 
from  their  murderous  tomahawks  ;  and  were  they  to  sit  and 
see  their  families  immolated,  and  to  feel  their  murderous  blow 
upon  their  own  heads  ?  Happy  thought !  The  Lord  is  the 
judge  between  them  and  the  slain  ! 

It  is  from  this  time  we  date  the  commencement  of  the  pros- 
perity of  this  Colony.     The  people   being  released  from  the 
horrors  of  war,  applied    all  their  energies  to  agriculture,  and 
soon  the  wilderness  became  a  fruitful   field.     In   1638,  New 
Haven  Colony  was  planted,  and  they  extended  their  purchases 
and  settlements  east  and  w^est  with  great  rapidity.     It  was 
the  same  with  the  Connecticut  Colony  at  Hartford,  and  vicin- 
ity, and  in  1643,  all  the  colonies  in  New  England,  entered  into  a 
mutual  confederation,  offensive  and  defensive,  for  future  aid 
and  strength.     In  1665,  Connecticut  and   New  Haven  colo- 
nies, which  had  to  this  time  been  separate,  and  independent  of 
each  other,  now  became  united.     At  this  period,  twenty-nine 
years  from  the    settlement  of  the  Comiecticut  Colony,  and 
twenty-seven  from  that  of  New  Haven,  these  Colonies  united, 
consisted  of  1700  families,  and  enjoyed  the  labors  of  twenty 
ministers,  giving  to  each  minister  eighty-five  families. 

This  will  show  that  they  were  not  unmindful  of  the  advan- 
tages of  a  Gospel  ministry,  and  that  they  were  williing  to  sup- 
port it,  amid  all  their  accumulated  burdens,  arising  out  of  their 
pecuhar  circumstances.  It  was  at  this  time,  Commissioners 
arrived  at  Boston  from  the  crown  of  England,  making  demands 
precisely  of  the  same  nature,  with  those  which  one  hundred 
years  afterwards,  produced  the  war  of  the  revolution,  and  they 
were  equally  resisted  m  the  first  instance,  as  in  the  second.  In 
1675,  the  ever  memorable  war  with  Phillip  commenced,  which 
involved  the  dearest  interests  of  Connecticut,  as  well  as  those 
of  all  the  other  Colonies  in  New  England.  This  celebrated  chief 
had  his  principal  seat  at  Mount  Hope,  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
town  of  Bristol,  in  Rhode  Island,  and  he  had  the  temerity  to 
2 


w 

conspire  the  destruction  of  all  the  Colonies  in  New  England^ 
For  this  purpose, he  drew  into  his  scheiues  all  the  principal  chiefs 
and  tribes  in  the  region,  and  with  all  possible  secrecy, proceeded 
to  execute  his  diabolical  Avork.     Swanzey,  a  frontier  town  of 
Plymouth  Colony,  was  the  first  to  experience  the  vengeance 
of  the  Indians.     This  electrified  each  Colony,  and  Connecticut 
sent  troops  immediately  to  Stonington,  for  the  defence  of  that, 
and  the  neighboring  towns.     But  notwithstanding  all  that  the 
colonies  could   do  this   year,  the  Indians  triumphed.     Brook- 
field,  Iladley,  Deerfield,  Northfield,  and  Springfield,  were  all 
attacked.     Houses  and  barns  were  burned,  cattle  killed,  grain 
destroyed,  and  many  of  the  inhabitants  were  either  massacred, 
or  carried  into  a  terrible  captivity.     Connecticut  raised  sixty 
dragoons  in  each  county,  for  the  defence  of  the  Colonies :  all 
towns  were  put  in  the  best  state  to  repel  an  attack,  and  in  No- 
vember, they  sent  three  hundred  of  their  own  men,  and  a 
hundred  and    fifty  Mohegans  to  cooperate  with  troops  from 
Massachusetts,  and  Plymouth  against  the  Narragansetts.    This 
expedition  was  successful  in  destroying  the  NaiTagansett  fort, 
and  dispersing  the  Indians,  but  it  was  a  dear  bought  victory  I 
Of  the  300  regular  troops  from  Connecticut,  eighty  were  either 
killed  or  wounded.     But  in  the  summer  of  1670,  Philip  himself 
fell  in  battle,  and  with  him  expired  the  hope  of  the  Indians,  and 
peace  was  the  result.     In  this  war  it  is  estimated,  that  every 
eleventh  English  soldier  in  New  England  fell ;  every  eleventh 
house  was  burned,  and  a  great  proportion  of  the  inhabitants 
were  clad  in  deep  mourning.     But   before  the  Colonies  had 
time  to  recover  from  this  terrible  calamity,  another  of  equal 
magnitude  threatened  them  from  another  quarter.     Upon  the 
accession  of  James  II.  to  the  throne  of  England,  this  infamous 
Prince  resolved  on  vacating  all  the  charters  of  these  Colonies^ 
and  mstituting  a  tyrannical  government  over  them  ;  and  in 
pursuance  of  this  object.  Sir  Edmund  Andross  was  appointed 
Governor  of  all  New   England,  who  arrived  at  Boston,  Dec, 
19,  1686.     This  Andross  was  a  modern  Nero,  and  employed 
all  his  powers  to  despoil  the  Colonies,  and  to  enrich  himself. 
He  came  to  Hartford  in  December,  1687,  demanded  the  Char- 


ter,  and  took  upon  himself  the  government.  This  was  the  time 
that  the  old  oak  at  Hartford  became  the  Ark  for  the  chartered 
rights  of  this  Colony,  wherein  they  reposed  securely  for  the 
space  of  nineteen  months,  and  then  upon  a  'change  of  Sove- 
reigns in  England,  were  again  brought  forth  for  the  peace  and 
prosperity  of  the  Colony.  It  was  in  anticipation  of  this  visit 
of  Sir  Edmund  Andross,  that  the  government  of  tliis  Colony, 
with  a  view  to  save  their  unappropriated  lands,  from  the  un- 
lawful grasp  of  this  rapacious  Governor,  did,  Jan.  2Gth,  1686, 
grant  to  the  towns  of  Hartford  and  Windsor,  "  those  lands  on 
the  North  of  Woodbury,  and  Mattakuck*,  and  on  the  west  of 
Farmington  and  Simsbury,  to  the  Massachusetts  line  north ; 
to  run  west  to  Housatonick,  or  Stratford  river,  provided  it  be 
not,  or  part  of  it,  formerly  granted  to  any  particular  person, 
to  make  a  plantation,  or  village."  It  was  perfectly  imderstood 
at  the  time  of  this  grant,  that  it  was  no  bona-fide  conveyance 
to  these  towns,  for  they  advanced  not  a  shilling  for  it,  nor  did 
they  claim  it  for  special  services  rendered,  yet  when  the  evils 
which  then  threatened  the  Colony  had  passed  away,  and  the 
government  was  desirous  of  disposing  of  those  lands,  for  the 
benefit  of  the  Colony ;  the  towns  of  Hartford  and  Windsor 
set  up  their  claim,  and  insisted  that  the  grant  to  them  in  1680 
was  a  bona-fide  transaction,  and  refused  to  yield  to  any  acts  of 
the  Assembly,  in  regard  to  the  sale  of  the  land.  Their  claim 
was  extensive,  comprehending  Kent,  Litchfield,  Harwinton, 
New  Hartford,  Torrington,  Goshen,  Cornwall,  SaHsbury,  Ca- 
naan, Norfolk,  Winchester,  Colebrook,  Barkhamsted,  and 
Hartland.  How  Salisbury  should  have  been  included  in  this 
claim,  I  am  unable  to  learn,  for  the  grant  of  1686  was  bounded 
west  by  the  Housatonick.  But  both  parties  proceeded  to  take 
possession  of  the  territory  in  dispute.  In  1718  the  Assembly 
sold  a  tract  of  country,  then  called  by  the  Indians  Bantam,  but 
from  the  incorporation  of  the  town  in  1724,  the  same  has 
borne  the  name  of  Litchfield.  Settlements  commenced  in  this 
town  in  1720.  In  1722,  individuals  of  Hartford  and  Windsor 
came  on  and  laid  out  the  township,  north  of  Litchfield,  then 

*  Waterbury. 


12 

called  New  Bantam,  but  which  has  borne  the  name  of  Goshen, 
from  an  act  of  the  Assembly,  in  1737.      These   individuals 
claimed  their  right  under  the  towns  of  Hartford  and  Windsor, 
which  brought  on  a  violent  conflict,  between  the  Colony  and 
these  towns.     In  October  of  1722,  while  the  Assembly  were 
in  session  at  Hartford,  some  of  the  trespassers  were  arrested, 
and  imprisoned  at  Hartford,  but  a  mob  was  raised,  the  jail 
broken  open,  and  the  delinquents  were  set  at  liberty  ;  and  so 
violent  was  the  opposition  of  these  towns  to  the  acts  of  the 
Assembly,  that  the  civil  authority  was  unable  to  execute  the 
laws  of  the  land.     Finally,  the  Assembly,  feeling  the  disastrous 
consequenses  of  a  protracted  warfare  of  this  nature,  did  in  the 
autumn  of  1724  appoint  a  Committee  to  investigate  all  the 
claims,  and  report  thereon,  that  the  difficulty  might  be  amicably 
settled.     This  Committee  spent  nearly  two  years  in  the  inves- 
tigation, and  then  reported,  that  a  division  of  this  territory 
be  made,  giving  one  half  to  the  towns  of  Hartford  and  Wind- 
sor,  and    one    half  to  the  Colony.     Hartford    and  Windsor 
should  have  the  Eastern  division,  and  the  Colony  the  Western. 
In  May,  1726,  the  Assembly  adopted  substantially  the  report 
of  the  Committee,  and  subsequently  secured  to  these  towns, 
Hartford  and  Windsor,  by  patent,  all  the  disputed  lands  East 
of  Litchfield,  Goshen,  and  Norfolk,  and  retained  the  Western 
section,  viz.  Goshen,  Norfolk,  Canaan,  Cornwall,  Kent,  and 
Salisbury ;  and  thus  an  affair  was  adjusted,  which  had  re- 
tarded  the    settlement  of    these   towns,  and  threatened  the 
whole  Colony  with  disastrous  consequences.     At  the  October 
Session  of  the  Assembly  in  1726,  a  grant  of  300  acres  of  land 
in  this  town,  was  made  to  James  Wadsworth,  Esq., of  Durham, 
John  Hall,  Esq.  of  Walhngford,  and  Hezekiah  Brainard,  Esq. 
of  Haddam.     What  the  consideration  was  for  this  grant,  does 
not  appear  :  probably  it  was  for  services  rendered  the  Colony. 
This  survey  was  made  by  John  Hitchcock,  April  28,   1731. 
The  North-west  corner  of  this  special  grant  was  east  of  the 
road  opposite  the  brick  house  of  Capt.  Jonathan  Wadhams, 
and  south  of  the  School  house.     The  west  line  of  the  grant, 
running  South  300  rods,  intersected  the  North  lire  of  Litchfield 


13 

tliirteen  rods  West  of  the  North  and  South  road,  that  passes 
the  house  of  Harvey  Brooks,  thence  East  on  Litchfield  hne  160 
rods.  Thence  North  300  rods,  and  then  West  160  rods  to 
the  North-west  bound,  ah'eady  described,  near  Capt.  Wadhams. 
This  grant  has  always  borne  the  appellation  "  the  'Squires 
Farm,"  because  the  three  Gentlemen  to  whom  the  grant  was 
made,  all  had  the  title  Esquire  attached  to  their  names  respec- 
tively. It  is  said  that  the  house  owned,  and  occupied,  by  the 
widow,  and  heir  of  the  late  Isaac  Wadhams,  stands  in  the 
central  part  of  the  'Squires  Farm.  But  at  the  time  of  this 
survey,  the  town  had  not  been  laid  out  by  government,  and 
was  denominated  Western  Lands  or  New  Bantam,  the  assem- 
bly not  regarding  at  all  the  laying  out  of  the  town  by  Hart- 
ford, and  Windsor,  in  1722.  But  at  their  session  in  May,  1731, 
they  enacted  that  their  Western  lands  should  be  laid  out  into 
five  townships,  and  appointed  their  Committee  to  perform  this 
business.  The  report  of  this  Committee  as  it  respects  this 
town,  bears  date  Oct.  15th,  1731,  describing  the  Umits  of  the 
same,  making  the  South  line  four  miles  and  196  rods.  The 
West  line,  nine  miles  and  60  rods.  The  North  line  four 
miles  and  86  rods — and  the  East  line, eight  miles,  and  146  rods; 
showing  that  the  South  line  is  ten  rods  longer  than  the  North 
line,  and  the  West  line  234  rods  longer  than  the  East  line. 
Soon  after  these  towns  were  laid  out,  the  Trustees  of  Yale 
College,  applied  to  the  assembly  for  a  grant  of  land  in  aid  of 
this  institution,  and  in  1732  they  made  a  grant  of  1500  acres  to 
the  Trustees,  300  acres  iii  each  of  the  five  towns  so  recently 
laid  out,  and  in  January,  1737  the  College  Farm  so  called  in 
this  town,  was  surveyed  and  its  boundaries  established.  The 
dwelling  houses  of  Messrs.  Asa  Leverett,  and  Cephas  Ives, 
stand  upon  this  grant,  and  also  the  house  at  the  turnpike  gate 
leading  to  Cornwall.  On  the  13th  of  Oct.  1737,  the  assembly 
enacted,  that  the  township  called  Goshen,  should  be  divided 
into  fifty-three  rights,  exclusive  of  former  grants,  referring  to 
the  'Squires  Farm,  and  College.  Two  of  the  53  rights  were 
to  be  appropriated  to  the  Ministry.  One  of  them  to  be  the 
property  of  the  first  settled  minister,  and  the  other  to  remain 


14 

for  the  support  of  the  Ministry  in  all  after  timo.  And  a  third 
right  was  to  be  for  the  support  of  Schools.  Fifty  rights 
would  remain  for  the  Proprietors  of  said  township.  The  as- 
sembly then  resolved  that  this  township  should  be  sold  in  so 
many  rights,  at  public  auction  at  the  Court  House  in  New  Ha- 
ven, to  the  highest  bidder,  commencing  on  the  first  Tuesday  in 
December  next  (1737),  and  to  be  continued  by  adjournment 
until  all  the  rights  were  sold.  The  conditions  required  of  each 
proprietor  were,  that  he  or  his  agent  should  within  two  years 
from  the  date  of  his  purchase,  enter  upon  his  premises  build  and 
finish  a  house  thereon,  no  less  than  eighteen  feet  square,  and 
seven  feet  between  sill  and  plate j  clear,  subdue,  and  fence 
six  acres  of  said  land,  and  continue  to  dwell  thereon  for  the 
space  of  three  successive  years  (unless  prevented  by  death  or 
unavoidable  Providence)  commencing  after  the  expiration  of 
the  two  years  in  which  the  specified  conditions  were  to  be 
performed  ;  and  furthermore,  he  must  perform  all  orders,  and 
duties,  and  pay  all  taxes  granted.  If  these  conditions  were 
performed,  then  his  deed  was  valid ;  but  if  any  part  of  the 
conditions  was  omitted  (extraordinaries  excepted)  his  title  was 
void,  and  of  no  effect. 

It  seems  that  during  the  winter,  spring  and  summer  of  1738, 
the  rights  were  all  or  nearly  all  disposed  of  and  that  a  meeting 
of  the  Proprietors  w  as  called  at  the  house  of  Capt.  Jolm  Buel 
in  Litchfield,  on  the  27th  of  September,  1738.  This  Capt.  John 
Buel,  or  Dea.  Buel,  as  he  is  generally  called  was  one  of  the 
first  settlers  of  the  town  of  Litchfield,  and  deserves  special 
notice  in  this  place,  on  account  of  the  interest  he  took  in  the 
settlement  of  this  town,  and  the  interest  his  descendants  have 
held  in  it  to  this  day.  He  with  his  wife  Mary  came  from  Leb- 
anon in  this  state,  to  Litchfield  in  1720,  and  lived  on  Town  Hill, 
North  side  of  West  street,  and  seventy  rods  West  of  the 
County  Jail.  He  was  distinguished  for  his  piety  and  active  be- 
nevolence. A  brief  anecdote  of  him  will  tell  the  whole  story. 
In  1740  or  41,  there  came  a  man  from  Cornwall  in  the  depth 
of  winter  to  purchase  some  grain  for  himself  and  family,  who 
were  in  great  need.     He  was  directed  to  the  house  of  Deacon 


15 

Buel  as  being  the  man  most  likely  to  have  grain  to  sell.  The 
man  called  at  the  house  and  inquired  if  Deacon  Buel  lived 
there,  and  whether  he  could  purchase  a  little  grain  for  his  fam- 
ily ?  Deacon  Buel  asked  him  if  he  had  money  to  purchase  the 
grain  ?  He  replied  that  he  had  some.  "  Well,"  said  the  Dea- 
con, "  I  can  show  you  where  you  can  procure  it."  Going  with 
the  stranger  to  the  door,  he  pointed  out  to  him  a  certain  house, 
and  said,  "  There  lives  a  man  who  will  let  you  have  the  grain 
for  your  money.  I  have  some  grain  to  spare,  but  I  must  keep 
it  for  those  who  have  no  money  !"  We  are  forcibly  impressed 
with  the  scripture  truth,  The  memory  of  the  just  is  blessed. 
Deacon  Buel  departed  this  life  April  9th,  1746,  aged  75  years. 
His  wife  survived  22  years,  and  the  following  is  inscribed  on 
her  tomb  stone,  "  Here  lies  the  body  of  Mrs.  Mary,  wife  of 
Dea.  John  Buel,  Esq.  She  died  Nov.  4, 1768,  aged  90  ;  having 
had  13  Children,  101  Grand-children,  247  Great-grand-chil- 
dren, 22  Great-great-grand-children  ;  total  410.  Three  hun- 
dred and  thirty-six  survived  her." 

Nearly  all,  if  not  all  who  bear  the  name  of  Buel,  in  Litch- 
field and  Goshen  are  the  descendants  of  this  same  Dea.  John 
Buel.  We  have  his  Grandson  with  us  to  day,  Capt.  Jonathan 
Buel,  aged  85. 

On  the  27th  of  Sept.  1738,  the  propiietors  of  this  town,  as- 
sembled at  the  house  of  Dea.  John  Buel,  Litchfield,  agreeably 
to  appointment.  Capt.  Joseph  Bird,  of  Litchfield,  was  chosen 
clerk,  and  Deacon  John  Buel  was  chosen  Moderator.  After 
being  fully  organized  they  adjourned  to  meet  at  the  same  place 
at  8  o'clock  the  next  morning,  one  hundred  years  ago  this 
morning.  Here  let  us  pause  for  a  moment's  reflection.  How 
eventful  were  the  doings  of  this  meeting  !  LTpon  the  acts 
of  this  body  were  suspended  the  settlement  of  this  town,  the 
manner  of  its  settlement,  and  much  of  its  prosperity  to  the 
present  time.  Nor  will  our  descendants  cease  to  be  influenced 
by  these  incipient  steps  for  ages  to  come,  and  may  not  to  the 
end  of  time. 

Whether  our  Fathers  were  sensible  of  the  importance  of 
their  proceedings  to  unborn  generations  or  not,  yet  loe  may 


16 

learn  that  we  never  act  for  ourselves  exclusively,  but  that  oth- 
ers are  to  be  affected  for  good  or  for  evil, by  our  influences  to  the 
latest  generation,  and  probably  to  eternity  ! 

The  adjournment  of  this   meeting  on  the  27th  to  the  28th 
of  the  month,  was  doubtless  that  they  might  arrange  matters 
so  as  to  transact  business  with  greater  despatch  the  next  day. 
We  understand,  that  each  Proprietor  of  one  right  in  the  town, 
owned   one    fifty-third  part  of  the    town,  exclusive    of    the 
^Squires  Form,  and   College  Farm.     But  no  man's  right  was 
yet  located.     And  that  each  might  have  as  fair  a  chance  as 
possible  in  his  location,  they  agreed  that  but  one  hundred  acres 
to  each  right,  should  be  located  at  that  time,  and  that  no  one 
should  select  more  that  fifty  acres,  until  all  the  others  had  se- 
lected their  fifty  acres  upon  their  respective  rights.    The  meth- 
od adopted  to  locate  each  man's  fifty  acres  was  this  : — There 
were  fifty- three  slips  of  paper  cut  and  marked  from  No.  1,  to 
53.     These  papers  were  put  into  a  hat  or  box,  and  the    Pro- 
prietors drew  out  one  paper  each,  and  according  to  the  number 
the  individual  drew  so  he  stood  in  the  choice  of  his  first  fifty 
acres.     The  man  who  drew  No.   1,  had  a  right  to  select  his 
fifty  acres  in  any*  part  of  the  town,  not  encroaching  upon  the 
two  Farms  specified.     He  who  drew  No.  2,  held  the  next 
choice,  and  so  on  to  fifty-three,  an  individual  being  designated 
to  draw  for  the  Ministerial  and  School  rights.     But  in  the 
choice  of  the  second  fifty  acre  lots  to  each  individual  Proprietor, 
there  was  no  drawing  for  a  choice  ;  for  it  was  agreed,  that  he 
who  had  the  last  choice  in  the  first  division,  should  have  the 
first  choice  in  the  second  division  ;  so  that  he  who  had  the  first 
choice  in  the  first  division  had  the  last  choice  in  the  second  di- 
vision.    These  preliminary  steps  being  taken,  the  Proprietors 
met  on  the  28th,  appointed  a  committee  for  laying  out  the  lots 
when  chosen,  and  drew  for  their  choice  of  lots.     Aaron  Cook 
drew  No.  1,  and  had   the  first  choice.     Daniel  Richards  the 
fifty-third.      The  meeting  was  then   adjourned    to  the  first 
Wednesday  of  December  next,  at  8  o'clock,  A.  M.,  to  meet  at 
the  house  of  Joseph  Bird  hi  Litchfield,  and  the  Proprietors 
hastened  to  Goshen,  each  to  search  out,  and  locate  his  future 


17 

home,  and  where  he  should  repose  his  mortal  part.     This  is 
the  day  we  celebrate  at  the  distance  of  one  entire  century 
from  those  hardy  adventurers.     From  this  period  we  date  the 
regular  settlement  of  this  town ;  and  whatever  degree  of  in- 
terest ive  may  feel  on  this  occasion,  we  may  rest  assured  our 
venerated  Fathers  felt  far  more.     They  had  to  select  for  them- 
selves, and  for  theirs.     Their  personal  interest  and  comfort, 
were  in  a  good  degree  involved  in  their  choice.     The  labor  of 
converting  a  wilderness  into  a  fruitful  field,  and  into  smooth 
and  green  pastures  was  theirs.     Far  distant  was  the  day  in 
their  vision,  when  the  Sun  with  unobstructed  rays,  and  mel- 
iowuig  influences,  should  look  down  upon  their  soil  as  at  this 
day.     For  a  long  period,  they  could  hope  for  the  necessaries  of 
hfe  only,  with  few  conveniences  and  no  luxuries,  unless  they 
were  derived  from  the  chase  !     They  knew  the  toil  of  felling 
the    towering    trees  of  the   forest,  of  making  roads,  building 
bridges,  erecting  mills,  fences,  habitations,  barns,  school  houses, 
and  a  house  for  worship ;  and  it  will  appear  in  the  sequel  that 
these  first  settlers  contemplated  all  these  tilings  from  the  com- 
mencement of  their   enterprise.     Now,  notwithstanding  this 
was  a  peculiar  race  of  men,  prepared  by  the  Providence  of 
God  for  bold  and  arduous  undertakings,  yet,  must  they  not 
have  felt  an  interest,  and  a  solicitude  while  entering  this  forest 
for  the  first  time,  which  we  do  not  and  cannot  feel  ?     Yet  they 
were  sustained  and  directed,  and  by  the  strength  of  their  arms, 
and  the  perseverance  of  their  labors,  we  their  descendants  are 
placed  in  the  lap  of  ease  and  plenty.     I  have  stated  that  Aaron 
Cook  drew  No.  1,  and  had  the  first  choice  in  the  first  division 
of  lots.     lie  chose,  and  we  honor  his  choice,  the  south  part  of 
Town  Hill,  whereon  now  stand  the  brick  house  of  the  late  Col. 
Moses  Lyman,  and  the  house  of  his  son,  Samuel  Lyman.  Daniel 
Richards  who  was  last  in  choice  in  this  division,  chose  the  land 
lying  South  East  o{  Narshapogge  Pond,  now  injudiciously  call- 
ed West  Side  Pond,  and  it  embraced  the  land  whereon  now 
stands  the  three  story  house,  known  by  the  name  Hudson  house. 
I  say  this  pond  is  injudiciously  called  West  Side  Pond,  because 
it  is  entered  in  all  ancient  conveyances  by  its  Indian   name 
3 


19 

ISfarsTiapogge,  aiid  because  it  is  much  more  definite  in  its  Indian 
name  than  in  its  present  name  ;  for  who  that  was  not  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  use  of  terms  here  could  decide  which  pond 
was  meant  by  the  term  'West  Side  Pond,  whether  it  w^as  tliis 
pond,  or  the  one  a  little  South  of  it  ?  Beside,  the  Indian  name 
is  a  much  more  dignified  name  ;  and  as  it  was  prior  to  the  one 
now  in  common  use,  by  thousands  of  years  probably,  it  ought 
to  be  retained  as  a  memorial  of  a  mighty  race  that  have  passed 
away  to  make  room  for  the  more  civilized,  but  more  effeminate 
European !  And  what  is  said  of  this  pond,  apphes  with  equal 
force  to  her  sister  a  little  South,  which  was  called  in  the  Indian 
tongue  Marsluipogge,  but  is  now  called  Tyler  Pond,  Who  for 
a  moment  can  balance  in  his  judgment  in  regard  to  the  euphony 
of  these  two  names  ?  Not  one.  We  say  then  let  them  bare 
their  original  names,  and  the  names  they  hold  in  our  records, 
and  not  attempt  to  filch  from  the  poor  Indian,  tlie  right  wliich 
God  and  nature  gave  him  to  imprint  the  seal  of  his  own  lan- 
guage upon  those  everlasting  hills,  lakes,  ponds  and  streams  ! 
Pardon  me  this  digression,  and  I  will  proceed,  I  have  said 
this  day,  one  hundred  years,  this  town  was  settled  by  its  pro- 
prietors, but  these  were  not  the  first  EngUsh  inliabitants  with- 
in this  town.  I  have  already  spoken  of  the  'Squires  Farm,  and 
given  its  boundaries  at  the  South-easterly  part  of  the  town,  ly- 
ing on  Litchfield  line.  It  is  upon  record  that  in  February, 
1734,  James  Wadsworth,  Esq.  sold  his  one  third  part  of  the 
'Squires  Farm,  to  Ebenezer  Luke  and  Isaac  Hill,  all  of  Walling- 
ford  of  this  state  ;  that  in  Feb.  1736,  there  was  a  division  of 
the  whole  farm  between  the  owners,  and  that  the  Southern 
third  part  fell  to  the  share  of  said  Hill.  It  appears,  also,  that 
in  1737,  Ebenezer  Hill  came  on  to  the  West  part  of  this  South 
third  of  the  farm,  and  built  him  a  small  framed  house  on  the 
ground  now  improved  for  a  barn-yard  by  Harvey  Brooks. 
The  house  stood  East  of  the  road  as  it  then  run,  but  West  of 
where  it  now  runs.  This  same  season,  1737,  Benjamin  Fris- 
bie  bought  of  Luke  Hill  his  third  of  the  one  hundred  acres,  di- 
vided between  the  said  Hills,  and  built  him  a  house  a  little 
North  of  the  house  of  Ebenezer  Hill,  on  the  same  side  of  the 


19 

Toad.  These  two  houses  might  have  accommodated  some  few 
of  the  proprietors  of  the  town,  while  attending  to  the  location 
and  survey  of  their  respective  lots  ;  but  by  far  the  greater  por- 
tion must  have  reposed  at  night  on  the  lap  of  indulgent  nature, 
and  slept  under  the  protecting  wing  of  high  Heaven. 

I  will  here  remark  that  the  first  English  child  born  in  this 
town  was  called  BiUious  Hill,  son  of  Isaac  Hill,  one  of  the  orig- 
inal proprietors.  He  was  born  at  the  house  of  Ebenezer  Hill, 
by  Harvey  Brooks',  as  already  described. 

I  shall  not  attempt  to  describe  the  location  and  survey  of 
each  lot  successively  as  the  business  proceeded  ;  but  shall  ad- 
vert to  the  fact  that  the  proprietors  held  two  meetings  more 
at  Litchfield  before  they  were  convened  at  Goshen,  at  which 
meetings  they  proceeded  to  make  further  divisions  of  land  upon 
the  same  plan  that  was  adopted  at  the  first  meeting.  The 
first  proprietor's  meeting  at  Goshen  was  on  the  13th  of  May, 
1740,  at  the  house  of  Joseph  Hickock,  on  East  street,  where 
Nathaniel  Stanley  afterwards  lived.  And  here  we  may  take 
our  leave  of  the  meetings  of  the  proprietors  as  distinct  meet- 
ings from  the  town,  although  they  have  held  occasional  meet- 
ings in  their  corporate  capacity  -to  the  present  time. 

The  first  town  meeting  ever  held  in  this  town  was  on  Dec. 
6th,  1739.  John  Beach  was  chosen  Moderator,  and  Samuel 
Pettibone,  Town  Clerk.  John  Beach,  Samuel  Pettibone,  Na- 
thaniel Baldwin,  Samuel  Towner  and  Benajah  Williams  were 
chosen  Selectmen.  Moses  Lyman  was  chosen  Collector  and 
Treasurer.  The  place  of  tliis  meeting  not  being  specified,  it  is 
supposed  that  it  was  held  at  their  meeting-house,  standing  a  lit- 
tle East  of  North  from  the  dwelling-house  of  Erastus  Lyman, 
Esq.,  and  four  or  five  rods  South  East  of  the  yellow  building, 
denominated  Mechanic's  Hall,  the  spot  we  have  now  visited  in 
solemn  and  grateful  procession.  This  first  meeting-house  was 
built  of  rude  materials.  The  butt  end  of  a  large  white  ash  tree 
felled,  composed  the  principal  part  of  the  wall  on  one  side,  and 
piled  logs,  with  a  covering  of  bark,  completed  the  sanctuary ! 
And  does  this  appear  small  in  our  view,  almost  provoking  a 
smile  ?     It  was  great  in  the  sight  of  God  !    It  was  the  best  they 


20 

could  do,  and  more  than  many  of  them  enjoyed  for  their  own 
sliclter.  It  was  the  expression  of  their  hearts  and  an  earnest 
of  what  they  would  do  in  time  to  come !  It  was  saying  that 
the  God  of  the  Pilgrims  was  their  God,  and  should  be  the  God 
of  Goshen  as  far  as  it  might  depend  on  them.  I  would  that 
that  house  now  stood !  How  often  would  we  steal  a  solitary 
walk  thither,  and  in  the  holy  stillness  of  evening,  go  round  her 
enclosures,  think  of  the  generation  that  congregated  there,  their 
fervent  devotions,  their  prayers  for  covenanted  mercies  upon 
their  posterity,  and  their  present  rest  on  high !  And  while 
thus  musing,  would  not  the  fire  kindle  in  our  own  hearts,  and 
should  we  not  praise  God  that  our  Fathers  loved  him,  and  gave 
us  this  precious  example  of  dedicating  to  him  the  first  fruits  of 
their  hearts  and  of  their  hands  ! 

But  notwithstanding  our  Fathers  had  thus  early  a  house  for 
God,  they  did  not  always  improve  it.  It  was  of  course  much 
open  between  logs,  and  there  were  no  stoves.  It  was,  there- 
fore, not  filfed  for  worship  in  the  severity*  of  winter.  Besides, 
there  were  no  roads  for  the  weak  and  tender  of  their  congre- 
gation to  travel  in  from  different  sections  of  the  town.  They 
therefore  adopted  the  plan  of  carrying  the  Gospel  to  the  people 
by  appointing  the  public  worship  of  God  in  different  parts  of 
the  town  ;  and  at  this  first  town  meeting  they  passed  a  vote 
that  the  "  Selectmen  should  ascertain  the  places  for  holding  the 
meetings  for  the  public  worship  of  God."  At  a  town  meeting, 
Jan.  11, 1740,  it  was  voted  to  hire  a  minister  on  probation, 
and  that  Nathaniel  Baldwin,  Samuel  Towner,  and  Samuel 
Pettibone  be  a  committee  to  go  after  a  minister,  with  full  power 
to  agree  with  him.  It  seems  that  this  committee  were  suc- 
cessful in  obtaining  ]Mr.  Stephen  Heaton,  of  Nevz-IIaven,  to  be 
their  candidate ;  for  in  April,  1740,  the  town  voted  him  a  call 
to  settle  with  them  in  the  Gospel  ministry,  and  specified  the 
settlement  and  salary  they  would  give  him.  The  call  was  not 
immediately  accepted,  and  in  September  following,  it  was  re- 
newed to  him,  with  some  addition  to  the  former  proposed  sala- 
ry. This  call  was  accepted,  and  Mr.  Ilcaton,  was  ordained 
Nov.  1740,  at  the  house  of  Capt.  John  Beach,  on  East  street, 


21 

East  side  of  the  road  opposite  to  the  present  dwelling  house 
of  Eber  Bailey. 

The  town  at  their  meetings  preparatory  to  the  settlement  of 
Mr.  Heaton  had  voted  that  it  was  necessary  to  build  a  meeting 
house,  and  Nathaniel  Baldwin  was  appointed  to  solicit  the 
General  Assembly  for  a  Committee  to  be  appointed  to  decide 
on  the  spot  where  the  New  Meetmg  house  should  stand.  It 
appears  further,  from  the  Records,  that  the  General  Assembly 
agreeably  to  the  request  of  the  Petitioners,  did  appoint  a 
Committee  of  three  from  the  town  of  Hartford  to  fix  on  the 
site  for  a  Meeting  house,  and  that  the  said  Committee,  did  come 
out  and  set  the  stake  where  the  house  should  stand,  sometime 
in  the  summer  of  1740,  and  that  after  some  delay,  and  embar- 
rassments, the  second  meeting  house  in  the  town  was  raised, 
and  covered  in  the  year  1744.  It  was  a  house  46  by  34  feet, 
and  20  feet  between  sill  and  plate.  It  had  two  galleries,  one 
above  the  other,  and  when  it  was  finished,  was  painted  yellow. 
It  stood  a  little  North  west  of  this  house,  and  a  Httle  South  of 
the  house  that  was  removed  in  1832,  the  South  side  of  the 
tliird  Meeting  house,  coming  within  4  feet  of  the  North  side  of 
the  second  house.  There  are  some  two  or  three  individuals 
present  who  remember  this  second  house  wliich  was  removed 
in  1770. 

I  will  now  for  the  satisfaction  of  the  present  generation, 
and  with  a  view  to  impress  us  all  with  the  truth,  that  the 
fashion  of  this  world  passeth  away,  present  you  this  town  as 
it  was  in  1745.  I  am  indebted  for  these  statistics  mainly  to 
Deacon  Lewis  M.  Norton  of  this  place,  whose  unwearied  and 
persevering  effort  in  tliis  cause  for  years  entitles  him  to  the 
lasting  gratitude  of  his  town's  men  and  to  a  more  substantial 
reward.  We  will  return  then  to  the  South  part  of  the  town, 
where  we  have  already  been  in  the  history,  and  commence 
with  Capt.  Jonathan  Buel,  son  of  Dea.  John  Buel  of  Litch- 
field, and  Father  of  Capt.  Jonathan  Buel  now  of  this  town. 
His  house  stood  upon  the  line  between  Litchfield,  and  Goshen, 
on  the  West  side  of  the  North  and  South  road,  as  it  now  runs. 
In  the  house  lately  owned,  and  occupied  by  Elias  Buel,  a  little 


22 

South  of  Harvey  Brooks,  on  the  East  side  of  the  road,  lived 
Ebenezer  Hill,  Jun.,  son  of  the  Ebenezer  Hill  whose  house  we 
have  already  located  in  Mr.  Brooks'  barn  yard.  This  house  of 
Ebenezer  Hill,  Jun,,  lately  occupied  by  Elias  Buel,  was  built  in 
the  summer  of  1741,  and  is  the  oldest  house  in  the  town.  This 
Hill,  and  Capt.  Jonathan  Buel  kept  tavern  alternately  for  a 
number  of  years.  Buel  would  keep  two  years,  and  then  Hill 
two,  for  the  accommodation  of  those  who  were  going  to  and 
from  "  Western  lands."  About  half  way  between  the  house  of 
Ebenezer  Hill,  Jun.,  and  the  house  lately  occupied  by  Elisha 
Buel,  now  by  Watts  Brooks,  stood  the  house  of  Asa  Hill,  an- 
other son  of  Ebenezer  Hill,  first  mentioned.  A  little  North  of 
the  present  house  of  Watts  Brooks,  near  the  flat,  stood  the 
house  of  Benjamin  Frishie,  already  described  as  the  second 
house,  built  in  1737,  on  the  'Squires  Farm.  A  little  North 
of  Frisbie's  house  as  we  ascend  the  hill,  and  precisely  where 
stands  the  house  of  Joseph  Beardsley,  lived  John  Dibble,  with 
a  numerous  family  from  Wallingford.  Afterwards  John  Dibble, 
Jun.,  kept  a-  store  in  the  house  for  several  years,  and  then  built 
him  a  store,  about  ten  rods  South  of  his  house,  near  the  house 
of  Frisbie,  and  traded  there.  It  was  called  the  red  store,  because 
it  was  painted  red.  Proceeding  North  until  we  come  to  within 
four  rods  South-east  of  the  present  brick  house  of  Samuel  Ives, 
and  there  lived  Noah  Wadhajns,  from  Middletown,  the  progeni- 
tor of  all  those,  who  have  ever  lived  in  Goshen,  bearing  the  name 
of  Wadhams.  He  w^as  prosperous  in  business,  and  reared  a 
numerous  family.  About  28  rods  North  of  Noah  Wadhams, 
lived,  on  the  West  side  of  the  road,  Jeremiah  Howe  from 
Wallingford.  He  was  the  Progenitor  of  all  the  families  by  the 
name  of  Howe  in  Goshen,  and  of  many  in  Canaan.  The  next 
neighbor  to  Howe  at  the  North,  w^as  Samuel  Pettibone,  from 
Simsbury.  His  house  stood  a  few  feet  North  of  the  present 
brick  house  of  Thomas,  and  Hiram  Griswould,  on  the  same 
side  of  the  way.  He  was  the  first  Lawyer  in  Goshen,  and  for 
some  time  was  State's  Attorney.  He  was  much  employed  in 
the  early  business  transactions  of  the  town ;  but  being  over- 
come, and  thrust  down,  by  the  Strong  Man  from  the  West  In- 


23 

dies,  he  terminated  his  earthly  existerxe  at  the  old  house,  for- 
merly occupied  by  Harvey  Brooks.  About  115  rods  North  of 
the  house  of  Pettibone  on  the  West  side  of  the  road,  stood  the 
house  of  Christopher  Grimes,  from  Wallingford,  the  old  well 
still  designating  the  location  of  his  dwelling.  North  of  the  house 
of  Grimes,  and  about  GO  rods  South  of  the  house  long  owned, 
and  occupied  by  Deacon  Augustus  Thomson,  but  now  owned 
by  Abraham  Norton,  and  his  son  William,  stood  the  house  of 
Gideon  Hurlbut,  from  Wethersfield,  on  the  East  side  of  the 
road.  Hurlbut  was  a  substantial  man,  and  pious.  He  reared 
a  numerous  family,  and  has  one  Grand-daughter  still  living  in 
the  town — Lorana,  the  Avife  of  Andrew  Norton,  Senior. 

A  few  rods  North  of  Hurlbut's  ;  and  on  the  west  side  of 
the  road  running  North  and  South,  and  North  of  the  road  then 
leading  to  town  hill,  stood  the  house  of  Zachariah  Curtis,  from 
Wethersfield.     The  town  hill  road  came  into  West  street  road 
at  that  time,  between  Gideon  Hurlburt's  and  Curtis' ;  40  or  50 
rods  South  of  where  it  now  comes  in.     North  of  Curtis',  and 
opposite  to  the  house  of  Abraham  Norton,  on  the  west  side  of 
the  road,  stood  the  house  of  Benjamin  Phelps,  from  Windsor. 
He  soon  afterw^ards  sold  to  Timothy  Gaylord  of  Wallingford, 
Father  of  the  late  Joseph  Gaylord,  and  Grand  Father  of  Jo- 
seph Ives,  and  Willard  Gaylord.     This  Timothy  Gaylord  was 
killed  in  the  old  French  war  ;  was  shot  through  the  head  by  an 
Indian,  as  he  stood  behind  a  tree,  and  was  moving  out  his  own 
head  to  obtain  a  shot  at  the  Indian.     The  next  house  North, 
on  the  West  side  of  the  way,  near  where  now  stands  the  barn 
of  Truman  Starr,  was  the  house  of  John  Wt'ight,  who  had  a 
numerous  family.     He  is  the  ancestor  of  those  who  bear  the 
name  of  AVright  in  this  town.     A  little  North  of  this,  on  the 
same  side  of  the  way,  and  a  little  North  of  the  late  Woodruff 
house,  stood  the  house  of  Deacon  Gideon  Thompson,  from 
New  Haven.     This  house  was  palisadoed  against  the  Indians. 
The  manner  of  fortifjdng  a  house  was  this : — They  dug  a  deep 
ditch  around  the  house,  placed  logs  perpendicularly  in  it  all 
around  the  house,  leaving  a  space  only  for  a  gate.     The  logs 
were  placed  close  together,  sharpened  at  the  top,  and  extended 


24 

eight,  ten,  or  twelve  feet  above  the  ground.  The  earth  taken 
from  the  trench,  was  then  returned,  and  beaten  down,  until 
the  logs  stood  firmly ;  and  this  with  a  gate  well  secured,  was 
a  tolerable  defence  against  a  sudden  attack  from  the  Indians. 
It  is  needless,  perhaps,  to  say  that  the  Indians  did  not  deal  in 
artillery.  At  this  house  a  town  meeting  was  held  in  May, 
1741.  He  was  one  of  the  first  Deacons  in  the  Church,  being 
appointed  at  the  time  of  the  organization  of  the  Church  in 
November,  1740 — before  the  ordination  of  Mr.  Heaton,  or 
very  soon  afterwards.  He  was  the  first  representative  from 
this  town,  to  the  General  Assembly  1757.  And  in  1759  he 
died  at  Hartford  while  a  member  of  the  Assembly.  He  was 
the  Grandfather  of  Jonathan  Thomson,  and  Deacon  Augustus 
Thomson.  From  this  house  of  Deacon  Gideon  Thomson, 
there  was  no  road  open  either  North  or  West  in  1745  ;  but  all 
was  forest  with  the  exception  of  a  settlement  in  Canada  Vil- 
lage, so  called. 

In  1739,  or  40,  the  said  Benjamin  Frisbie  of  the  South  end, 
nioved  into  that  place,  and  built  him  a  house  a  few  rods  North 
of  the  present  house  of  Augustus  Miles,  Esq.  In  1742,  he  built 
a  Saw  Mill,  where  stands  now  the  Woolen  Factory,  and  soon 
after  he  built  the  first  Grist  Mill  in  town.  Tliis  stood  a  little 
distance  from  the  Saw  Mill,  and  occupied  the  ground,  which 
is  now  improved  as  a  tannery  by  George  Miles.  Undoubtedly 
the  inliabitants  of  this  village,  are  indebted  to  this  same  Fris- 
bie, for  the  name  of  their  village  ;  and  that  the  Connecticut 
Historical  Collections,  have  the  truth  in  the  case.  Capt.  Jon- 
athan Buel,  who  can  remember  80  years,  says,  that  it  was 
called  Canada  as  long  ago  as  he  can  remember,  and  he  always 
understood  that  it  came  by  its  name  as  stated  in  the  Collec- 
tions, viz.  that  this  Frisbie  was  ever  talking  about  removing 
to  Canada,  but  never  went.  The  wags  of  his  time  being 
wearied  with  his  story  of  Canada,  told  him  he  should  live  in 
Canada,  and  if  he  would  not  remove  to  Canada,  they  would 
bring  Canada  to  him,  and  from  that  time,  they  called  the  place 
of  his  residence  Canada.  West  of  Canada  Village,  in  1745, 
there  was  no  road,  and  no  settlement,  until  we  came  to  Corn- 


25 

wall.  We  will  return  then  to  Town  Hill.  Here  were  but 
three  families,  and  all  South-westerly  of  them  in  this  town, 
was  wilderness.  On  the  top  of  Town  Hill,  on  the  West  side 
of  the  road,  and  a  little  South  of  the  present  dwelling  of  Gen. 
Moses  Cook,  stood  the  house  of  Joseph  Curtis,  from  Wethers- 
field.  He  had  a  numerous  family.  He  sold  out  in  1750  to 
Daniel  Cook,  Father  of  the  present  Moses  Cook,  Senior,  who 
still  survives.  About  twenty-five  rods  South  of  Gen.  Moses 
Cook's  present  dwelling,  on  the  East  side  of  the  road,  stood  the 
house  of  Joseph  Cook,  from  Wallingford,  Father  of  Daniel 
Cook,  and  Grand-father  of  Moses  Cook,  Senior.  Joseph  Cook 
lived  here  until  the  time  of  his  death,  Nov.  7,  1764. 

South  of  Curtis',  and  about  midway  of  the  hill,  on  the  W^st 
side  of  the  road,  stood  the  log  house  of  Deacon  Moses  Lyman r 
from  Northampton,  JNIass.     His  son  Col.  Moses  Lyman,  after- 
ward built  the  present  brick  house,  now  owned  by  the  Hon. 
Moses  Lyman,  on  the  spot  where  stood  the  house  of  Deacon 
Lyman.     This  first  house  was  built  upon  elevated  underpin- 
ning, and  the  windows  were  made  high  in  the  walls  of  the 
house,  to  prevent  the  Indians  from  firing  into  the  windows,  in 
case  the  family  were  invaded  by  them.     But  this  Deacon  Mo- 
ses Lyman  was  cut  oft'  in  the   midst  of  his  years,  and  in  the 
midst  of  his  usefulness,  Jan.  6th,  1768,  aged  fifty-five.     He  had 
a  protuberance  of  the  bone  in  one  of  his  limbs,  submitted  to 
amputation,  and  after  one  month's  slow  but  incessant  bleeding 
he  expired,     I  have  seen  a  printed  sermon  delivered  on  the 
occasion  of  his  death,  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Newell,  which  shows 
that  the  church,  and  town,  were  in  mourning  by  this  bereave- 
ment.    They  felt  as  did  the  young  Prophets,  at  Elijah's  remov- 
al— that  the  Lord  had  taken  away  their  Head  man    from 
among  them.     And  from  all  that  I  can  learn  of  the  aged  now 
living  concerning  him,  lie  was  a  great  blessing  to  the  town. 
He  came   from  Northampton,  then  the  centre  of  Theology, 
and  active  piety  in  New  England.     He  had  sat  tmder  the 
Ministry  of  the  celebrated  Jonathan  Edwards,  seen,  and  felt 
the  power  of  those  great  revivals,  and  he  was  eminently  prepar- 
ed to  bless  a  new  settlement.     Whatever  his  hand  found  to  do 
4 


26 

of  benevolence  and  usefulness,  he  did  with  his  might ;  and  as 
a  beneficent  Providence  had  given  him  the  ability  to  bless,  so  he 
imparted :  the  blessing  of  him  that  was  ready  to  perish  came 
upon  him,  and  he  caused  the  widow's  heart  to  sing  for  joy  f 
His  rest  is  undoubtedly  glorious  !  We  have  with  us  to  day 
three  Grand-children  of  this  man — Moses,  Samuel,  and  Eras- 
tus  Lyman.  He  has  here  a  Grcat-great-grand-child,  who  is 
the  tenth  Moses  Lyman  in  regular  succession,  and  the  first 
son  born  in  each  successive  family,  and  the  first  born  in  every 
family,  with  one  exception.  It  has  been  said  that  Town  Hill 
received  its  name  on  account  of  the  early  impression  that 
there  would  be  the  centre  of  the  town.  It  is  more  probable 
they  thought  that  might  be  the  centre  of  a  South  Parish,  when 
the  North  part  of  the  town  became  a  Parish,  and  the  South- 
west part  became  settled.  At  the  North  side  of  tliis  Town 
Hill,  we  find  a  collection  of  water  called  Dog  Pond.  This 
received  its  name  from  the  simple  fact,  that  Dea.  Nathaniel 
Baldwin  of  the  North  part  of  the  town,  lost  his  dog  there  by 
drowning  in  1738.  The  circumstances  are  not  mentioned,  but 
it  is  probable  that  the  event  occurred  while  the  old  Hunter 
was  in  the  chase  I  Leaving  Town  Hill  on  the  North  side,  and 
passing  East  towards  Samuel  Pctlibone's,  now  Thomas  Gris- 
would's,  and  just  before  w-e  reach  the  bottom  of  the  hill,  w^e 
see  a  Saw  Mill,  a  little  at  our  right,  on  the  South  side  of  the 
road,  which  is  supplied  with  W' ater  taken  by  a  small  canal,  from 
the  natural  channel  made  by  the  waters,  which  flow  from 
Dog  Pond.  Tliis  Mill  was  built  in  1742  by  Benjamin  Phelps, 
and  others.  Proceeding  on  Eastwardly  by  Samuel  Pcttibone's, 
and  crossing  the  meadow  precisely  as  the  road  now  runs,  we 
shall  come  to  the  house  of  Zacheus  GriswoHld,  from  Wmdsor. 
His  house  stood  a  very  little  North  of  the  present  house  of  the 
widow,  and  heirs  of  John  Griswonld.  He  was  the  Father 
of  all  those  inhabitants  of  this  town,  who  have  borne  the  name 
Griswo1|ld.  He  hved  more  than  one  hundred  years,  and  his 
wife  attained  to  just  one  hundred.  His  daughter  in  law,  the 
wife  of  his  son  Giles  Griswo^ld,  still  survives,  and  has  attained 
to  her  ninety-ninth  year.     A  little  further  to  the  North,  and 


27 

we  coniG  to  the  house  of  Ahcl  Phelps,  from  Simsbuiy.  It 
stood  a  few  feet  South-east  from  the  preseut  dwelling  of  Becbe 
Wadhams.  He  and  his  son  Abel,  occupied  the  house  for  many 
years.  Proceeding  North,  we  do  not  find  a  habitation,  until 
we  reach  the  residence  of  Capt.  Samuel  Thomson,  from  New 
Haven.  His  house  stood  on  the  West  side  of  the  North,  and 
South  road  near  the  present  store  of  Moses  Lyman,  Jun.  The 
road  from  West  street,  came  into  Middle  street,  where  it  now 
does,  and  proceeding  East  by  the  first  Meeting  House,  at  the 
old  ash  tree,  proceeded  directly  to  East  street,  and  came  out 
nearly  opposite  to  the  road,  that  comes  in  from  Torrington. 
On  the  South  side  of  this  East  and  West  road,  and  ten  rods 
East  of  INIechanic's  hall,  on  middle  street,  lived  Amos  Thomson, 
from  New  Haven.  Dea.  Gideon  Thomson,  Samuel  Thomson, 
and  Amos  Thomson,  were  all  brothers,  or  near  relatives. 
Proceeding  North  on  Middle  street  till  we  come  to  the  garden 
now  improved  by  Simmons  Scovil,  and  here  we  find  the  site 
of  the  dweUing  of  Rev,  Mr.  Heaton,  the  first  Minister  of  the 
town.  This  garden  belongs  to  the  house  and  lot  now  owned 
by  Nelson  Wadhams  of  Canada  village.  There  was  no  other 
house  between  Mr.  Heaton's,  and  the  second  Meeting  house 
already  described.  At  this  date,  there  was  no  road  directly 
East  from  the  Meeting  house,  and  none  directly  West.  There 
was  no  house  from  Amos  Thomson's,  to  East  street,  and  none 
on  Beach  or  Lucas  Hill.  There  was  a  road  open  to  West 
side,  so  called,  but  no  house  from  the  Meeting  house,  till  we 
como  to  the  house  of  Timothy  Tullle,  which  stood  on  the  East 
side  of  the  road,  nearly  opposite  to  the  present  house  of  his 
Grand-daughter,  Mrs.  Huldah  Tuttle.  He  was  an  original 
Proprietor  in  the  town,  from  Wallmgford,  and  reared  a  nume- 
rous family.  Some  thirty  or  forty  rods  North  of  Tuttle's  we 
come  to  the  house  of  Daniel  Richards,  from  Hartford,  of  whom 
we  have  already  spoken.  His  house  stood  a  little  North-west 
from  the  present  three  story  Hudson  House.  He  was  the  Grand- 
father of  the  present  Russel  Richards. 

Passing  onward  to  the  North-^west,  till  we  cross  the  outlet 
of  Narshapoggc  Pond,  we  come  to  the  house  of  nBxtbai  Beach, 


28 

standing  near  where  Russel  Richards'  house  now  does.  He 
was  from  Wallingford.  At  the  Barnam  house,  South  of  the 
West  side  grave  yard,  hved  Daniel  Harris,  Jun.  from  Walling- 
ford. No  descendants  in  town.  A  little  West  from  the  last 
mentioned  place,  and  in  the  present  garden  of  Lewis  C.  Wad- 
hams,  on  the  East  side  of  his  house,  stood  the  house  of  Benja- 
min Deming,  from  Middletown,  Father  of  Wait,  Ellas  and  Jon- 
athan Deming.  Still  farther  North,  about  sixty  rods,  on  the 
East  side  of  the  road,  stood  the  house  of  Thomas  Marvin, 
from  Litchfield.  He  was  an  original  Proprietor  in  the  town, 
but  did  not  remain  long  here.  Near  the  house  long  occupied 
by  Philo  Collins,  and  now  by  William  Miles,  stood  the  house  of 
Benajah  Williams,  from  Stonington,  an  original  Proprietor  in 
two  rights.  He  did  not  remain  long  in  town,  but  sold  his  large 
and  beautiful  farm  of  more  than  400  acres  to  Ephraim  Wil- 
liams of  Wethersfield,  whose  son  Jacob  Williams,  came  and 
lived  on  it.  Pursuing  this  road  North,  until  we  come  to  the 
present  new  house  of  Acres  Lawton,  we  come  to  the  house 
of  Jonah  Case,  from  Simsbury,  an  original  Proprietor.  From 
this  house  North,  all  was  Wilderness,  and  no  road.  There 
was  no  house  North  of  the  Meeting  house,  and  AVest  of 
Humphrey's  lane,  until  we  came  to  West  side  street,  already 
described.  We  must  return  back  then  to  the  Center,  and  be- 
fore we  go  to  East  street,  we  must  visit  the  beautiful  hill  of 
Andrew  Norton,  Jun.,  three-fourths  of  a  mile  South-east  from 
this  house.  On  the  East  declivity  of  this  hill,  on  the  South 
side  of  the  road,  and  about  fifteen  rods  East  of  the  old  house 
of  Andrew  Norton,  Jun.,  stood  the  house  o{  Leniis  Ward,  from 
WaUingford.  In  the  autumn  of  the  year  of  which  we  are 
now  speaking  1745 — Ward  sold  out  to  William  Walter,  who 
brought  up  a  family  there,  and  from  him  the  Walters  m  Goshen 
have  descended.  At  a  little  later  date  than  the  time  of  which 
we  are  speaking,  came  David  Norton,  from  Durham,  and  built 
a  house  on  the  North  side  of  the  road,  on  the  top  of  the  hill, 
almost  on  the  same  spot  where  now  stands  the  new  house  of 
Andrew  Norton,  Jun.  He  was  a  young  man  of  unusual  enter- 
prise, and  of  substantial  character.     He  was  the  Father  of 


29 

David,  Ebcr,  Oliver,  John,  Anna,  Alexander,  Andrew,  William, 
and  Miriam,  three  of  whom  continue  to  this  present  time,  Al- 
exander, Andrew,  and  Adimii.  He  was  however  taken  awayt/^Ju^* 
in  the  midst  of  life  and  usefulness.  He  w^as  greatly  interested 
in  the  buildmg  of  the  third  meeting-house  in  17G9.  On  Mon- 
day he  labored  very  hard  in  getting  in  large  stones  for  the 
foundation  of  that  house.  He  was  taken  suddenly  ill,  and  died 
on  Thursday,  aged  fo/irty-four  ;  so  that  like  David  of  old,  he 
was  not  permitted  to  sec  the  house  his  heart  was  fixed  upon. 
Not  only  his  family,  but  the  town  felt  their  bereavement. 

At  the  South  end  of  East  street,  we  come  to  the  place  of 
Cyprian  Collins,  the  fourth  son  of  Rev.  Timothy  Collins,  of 
Litchfield.  In  the  spring  of  this  year.  Rev.  Mr.  Collins  pur- 
chased land  at  that  place,  and  some  time  afterwards,  sent  his 
son  Cyprian  to  clear  the  land,  and  build  upon  it,  with  the 
^jromise  of  a  future  deed.  The  first  house  of  Cyprian  Collins 
stood  on  the  West  side  of  the  road,  near  the  horse  shed  of 
Capt.  Timothy  Collins.  His  second  house  was  the  one  now 
owmed  and  occupied  by  Capt.  Timothy  Collins.  This  Cyprian 
Collins  had  a  numerous  family,  and  was  the  ancestor  of  all 
who  bear  the  name  of  Collins  in  this  town.  He  had  eleven 
children,  Ambrose,  Triphena,  Amanda,  Philo,  Anna,  Luranda,  /  ^ 
Rhoda,  Cyprian,  Phebe,  and  Tyrannus  ;  and  all  these  lived  to  •  tm  f' 
become  heads  of  numerous  families,  Cyprian  CoUins  was  a 
frugal  and  an  industrious  man,  and  a  firm  patriot  in  the  Revo- 
lution. In  the  early  period  of  his  life,  he  owned  the  covenant, 
as  it  was  called,  and  brought  his  children  to  baptism,  and  was 
always  a  regular  attendant  on  divine  worship.  And  here  it 
may  not  be  inappropriate  to  remark,  for  the  benefit  of  the  ris- 
ing generation,  that  the  practice  of  receiving  persons  of  moral 
life  into  a  half-way  relation  to  the  church,  had  obtained  exten- 
sively in  New-England  at  that  day.  The  applicant  for  tliis  re- 
lation was  required  to  profess  his  belief  in  the  fundamental 
principles  of  the  Gospel,  promise  to  lead  a  sober  life,  and  to 
train  up  his  household  in  the  things  of  religion.  If  he  would  do 
this,  he  might  bring  his  children  to  baptism,  and  yet  not  con- 
sider himself  a  member  of  the  Church,  or  come  to  the  com- 


30 

municn  <^able,  and  not  even  consider  himself  a  regenerate  per- 
son. This  will  explain  what  we  have  further  to  say  of  Mr. 
Cyprian  Collins.  Notwithstanding  he  had  owned  the  cove- 
nant, had  his  children  baptized,  and  ever  been  a  regular  attend- 
ant on  the  instituted  means  of  grace,  yet  in  old  age,  his  atten- 
tion was  powerfully  arrested  to  the  spirtual  concerns  of  liis 
soul:  he  realized  that  he  was  a  great  sinner,  cast  himself  upon 
the  mercy  of  the  Saviour,  and,  as  wc  trust,  obtained  eternal 
life.  At  the  age  of  seventy-five  years,  he  made  a  public  pro- 
fession of  religion,  and  to  the  close  of  his  life,  gave  pleasing  evi- 
dence, that  he  was  indeed  a  child  of  God. 

I  will  here  remark,  that  in  1745  there  was  no  road  from 
Litchfield  to  meet  East  street  road,  for  I  find  that  at  a  town 
meeting  m  1749,  a  committee  was  raised  to  "  treat  with  Litch- 
field men,  about  their  laying  a  road  to  meet  ou,r  East  side 
road," 

Leaving  the  place  of  Cyprian  Collins,  and  proceeding  North, 
we  come  to  the  house  of  Benoni  Hills,  standing  near  the 
North-west  corner  of  the  present  barn  of  the  late  Samuel  D. 
Street.  The  roaci  then  ran  West  of  this  barn.  Benoni  Hills 
"was  the  Father  of  Zimri,  and  Col.  Medad  Hills,  About  nine 
rods  West  of  the  present  house  of  William  Lyman,  the  late 
residence  of  Capt.  Jonathan  North,  and  West  of  the  road  as  it 
then  run,  stood  the  house  of  Joseph  North,  from  Farmington. 
He  was  the  Father  of  Doctor  Joseph  North,  Ezekiel  North, 
and  others.  This  house  was  palisadoed,  or  fortified  against  the 
Indians.  A  little  further  North,  and  just  where  the  barn 
stands  which  was  lately  owned  and  improved  by  Dudley  Hen- 
derson, stood  the  house  of  Capt,  Samuel  Hinman,  an  original 
proprietor,  from  Litchfield.  This  house  was  built  in  the  fall  of 
1 738.  About  thirty  rods  North  of  Hinman's,  and  a  little  South 
of  the  turnpike  road,  as  it  comes  into  East  street,  from  Sha- 
ron, stood  the  house  of  Stephen  Goodwin,  from  Simsbury.  Here 
Goodwin  kept  tavern  some  years.  Afterwards  he  built  about 
twenty  rods  South-east,  and  there  he  kept  a  tavern.  Of  this 
man  we  shall  hear  again,  when  we  come  to  the  war  of 
the   Revolution.     A   few   feet   North   of  the   present   brick 


31 

house  of  Joseph  Goddard,  built  by  Birdscy  Norton,  Esq.,  stood 
the  log  house  of  Deacon  Ebenezcr  Norton,  from  Durham.  A 
few  years  afterwards  he  built  the  house  which  stood  a  little 
North-west  of  the  present  brick  house,  and  in  this  he  lived  until 
his  decease.  This  Deacon,  or  Esquire,  or  Colonel,  Norton,  for 
he  bore  these  several  titles  at  the  same  time,  was  a  distinguish- 
ed character  in  his  day.  No  man,  perhaps,  with  the  exception 
of  Deacon  JMoses  Lyman,  was  ever  more  loved  and  honored 
by  the  people  of  tliis  town,  than  he.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
General  Assembly  twenty-six  sessions,  in  times  that  tried 
men's  souls.  And  he  would  have  been  called  to  discharge  those 
duties  still  longer,  but  his  increasing  infirmities  induced  him  to 
decline  all  public  services.  He  married  Elizabeth,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Deacon  Nathaniel  Baldwin,  of  this  town,  and  their  child- 
ren were  Miles,  Aaron,  Elizabeth,  Ebenezcr,  Rachel,  Marana, 
Nathaniel,  Olive,  and  Birdsey.  They  have  three  Grand-child- 
ren, now  living  in  town — Abraham  Norton,  Deacon  Lewds  M. 
Norton,  and  Elizabeth  M.,  the  wife  of  Joseph  Goddard.  He 
departed  tliis  life  March  15,  1785,  aged  seventy.  She  died 
April  16,  1811,  aged  eighty-nine.  Their  descendants  at  the 
time  of  her  death  were  208.  Four  of  them  were  Great-great- 
grand-children. 

About  thirty  rods  North  from  the  house  of  Deacon  Ebenczer 
Norton,  and  a  little  North-east  of  the  red  house  once  occupied 
by  Deacon  Samuel  Norton,  and  now  owned  and  occui)icd  by 
Adam  Bently,  stood  the  log  house  of  Samuel  Norton,  from  Dur- 
ham. This  house  was  palisadoed  against  the  Indians.  Eben- 
ezcr, Samuel  and  David  Norton,  were  brethren,  the  sons  of 
Samuel  Norton,  of  Durham. 

Proceeding  North  we  come  to  the  dwelling  of  Nathaniel 
Stanley,  from  Farmington.  His  log  house  stood  about  two 
rods  North-west  from  the  North-west  corner  of  the  present 
house,  so  long  occupied  by  his  Grand-son  William  Stanley,  and 
his  Great-grand-son  Deacon  George  Stanley,  but  now  owned 
by  Adam  Bently.  He  came  to  this  town  in  1742,  and  pur- 
chased the  lot  of  Joseph  Hickock.  He  died  March  2,  1770, 
attaining  to  more  tlian  ninety  years. 


32 

A  few  rods  North-east  of  the  East  street  burying  ground,  on 
the  East  side  of  the  road,  stands  the  same  house  which  stood 
there  in  1745,  and  is  one  of  the  oldest  houses  in  the  town 
It  was  originally  the  house  of  Barnabas  Beach,  eldest  son  of 
Captain  John  Beach.  Daniel  Miles,  Esq.  succeeded  Mr.  Beach. 
It  was  long  known  as  the  residence  of  Samuel  Chapin,  Esq., 
and  is  now  the  home  of  widow  Emily  Chapin.  On  the  same 
side,  about  twenty  rods  South-east  of  the  dwelling  of  Jesse 
Beach,  stood  the  house  of  Adna  Beach,  second  son  of  Captain 
John  Beach.  He  had  a  numerous  family,  was  once  a  repre- 
sentative to  the  General  Assembly,  and  was  the  Grand-father 
of  Jesse  Beach.  A  little  North  of  the  house  occupied  by  Nor- 
man Austin,  on  the  same  side  of  the  way,  stood  the  house  of 
Edmund  Beach,  the  third  son  of  Captain  John  Beach.  His 
family  was  numerous.  Upon  the  death  of  Dea.  Ebenezer  Nor- 
ton, he  was  chosen  to  succeed  him  in  the  office  of  deacon. 
Three  times  he  was  sent  a  representative  to  the  General  As- 
sembly. His  house  has  remained  until  recently,  and  its  place 
may  yet  be  seen. 

A  little  at  the  North  of  the  old  house  now  spoken  of,  on  the 
same  side  of  the  way,  opposite  to  the  house  of  Eber  Bailey,  and 
North  of  the  road  running  East,  stood  the  house  of  Captain,  or 
Deacon  Jolin  Bench,  the  place  already  spoken  of  as  the  one 
where  the  Rev.  Mr.  Ileaton  was  ordained.  This  was  the  old 
hive,  where  issued  nearly  all  the  families  bearing  the  name  of 
Beach  in  tliis  town.  Deacon  John  Beach  was  from  Walling- 
ford,  an  original  Proprietor  in  two  rights,  and  came  to  this 
town  in  1738  with  nine  sons — Barnabas,  Adna,  Edmund,  Li- 
nus, Amos,  Jacob,  John,  Roys,  and  Baldwin.  Being  thus 
blessed  with  a  quiver  full  of  arrows,  he  commanded  respect. 
First  and  last,  he  sustained  all  important  offices  in  the  town. 
Four  times  he  represented  this  town  in  the  General  Assembly. 
We  may  suppose,  that  Dca.  Beach,  with  his  nine  sons,  would 
not,  in  the  first  instance,  erect  a  mean  cabin.  Tliis,  with  the 
considerations,  that  there  was  no  meeting-house  fitted  to  the 
occasion  of  an  ordination  in  1740;  that  there  was  no  road 
from  East  to  Middle  street,  worthy  of  being  called  a  road ; 


83 

and  that  East  street  was  at  that  time  more  thickly  inhabited 
than  any  other  section  of  the  town,  is  explanatory  why  Mr. 
Heaton  w^as  ordained  at  the  house  of  Deacon  John  Beach,  I 
will  remark  here,  that  Dca.  John  Beach  had  a  brother,  Samuel, 
who  settled  in  Litchfield,  and  gave  name  to  the  North  and 
South  street,  that  is  called  Beach  street.  He  was  the  progen- 
itor of  those  families  of  that  name  in  that  neighborhood.  I  will 
also  say  that  Jacob  Beach,  the  sixth  son  of  Deacon  John  Beach, 
was  the  Father  of  the  present  Francis  and  Julius  Beach,  whose 
joint  ages  amount  to  156  years,  and  are  with  us  to-day. 

From  Deacon  John  Beach's  house,  we  proceed  North  till  we 
come  to  the  garden  of  Robert  Palmer,  on  the  East  side  of  East 
street  and  on  the  South  side  of  the  road  leading  Eastward,  and 
there  stood  the  house  of  Samuel  Towner,  from  Waterbury. 
He  w^as  an  original  proprietor,  but  did  not  remain  long  in  town. 
Just  North  of  Towner's  house,  and  near  the  spot  where  Ro- 
bert Palmer's  house  now  stands,  stood  the  house  of  John  North, 
from  Farmingrton.  He  did  somethins;  as  a  merchant  there. 
He  built  what  was  called  the  Blue  house,  deriving  its  name 
from  the  color  of  its  paint.  It  stood  precisely  on  the  spot 
where  now  stands  the  house  of  Robert  Palmer.  This  house 
w'as  struck  by  lightning  in  the  afternoon  of  the  6th  of  June, 
1767,  in  a  tremendous  tempest  of  lightning,  thunder  and  rain.  ^-^ 
All  were  struck  down  in  the  house,  and  two  men,^©iwt4t  Rice/ 
and  Martin  Wilcox,  were  killed.  This  Martin  Wilcox  was  a 
young  man,  pious  and  much  beloved.  The  house  seemed  in- 
stantly on  fire  in  various  places,  and  the  bodies  of  these  men 
were  nearly  consumed  before  they  could  be  taken  from  the 
flames.  The  terror  produced  by  this  Providence  was  so  great, 
that  the  ancients  speak  of  it  with  awe  t9  the  present  day. 
About  twenty  rods  at  the  North  of  the  Blue  house,  on  the 
West  side  of  the  road,  stood  the  house  of  Jolm  Thomson,  Jun., 
from  Wallingford.  His  father  was  the  original  proprietor. 
John  Thomson  was  the  progenitor  of  the  Thomsons  in  the 
North  part  of  the  town. 

North  of  John  Thomson's,  and  fifty  rods  South-east  of  the 
vellow  house  built  by  Asaph  Hall,  Esq.,  stood  the  log  house  of 
5 


34 

Elkaiiah  Hall,  from  Wallingford.  His  father  David  Hall,  was 
the  original  proprietor  in  two  rights,  but  he  never  lived  in 
Goshen.  He  afterwards  was  killed  by  a  ball  at  Fort  George, 
in  the  old  French  war.  Asaph  Hall,  Esq.,  succeeded  Elkanah 
at  the  log  house,  and  hved  there  until  he  built  the  yellow  house, 
and  there  lived  until  his  death,  about  thirty-eight  years  ago. 
Asaph  Hall  was  a  talented  man,  and  possessed  the  confidence 
of  the  people  of  this  town.  Twenty-four  times  between  1773 
and  1792  he  sat  in  the  General  Assembly,  He  was  then  called 
Captain  Hall.  For  many  years  he  sustained  the  office  of  mag- 
istrate, and  was  a  firm  friend  to  his  country. 

And  now  we  come  to  the  house  of  Deacon  Nathaniel  Bald- 
win, one  of  the  first  characters  of  that  day.  He  was  originally 
from  Guilford,  but  came  first  to  Litchfield,  and  at  the  settle- 
ment of  this  town,  he  purchased  two  rights  and  came  to  Go- 
shen in  1739.  His  house  stood  on  the  West  side  of  East  street, 
and  on  the  South  side  of  the  narrow  road  leading  to  Hum- 
phrey's lane,  a  few  rods  South-west  from  the  brick  house  of 
Asaph  Hall.  He  was  eminently  a  man  of  God,  and  was  highly 
esteemed  both  in  the  church  and  in  the  town.  Twice  was  he 
sent  to  the  General  Assembly.  He  was  at  first  a  deacon  in  the 
church  at  Guilford,  then  at  Litchfield,  and  as  soon  as  the  church 
was  organized  here,  he  was  appointed  one  of  their  first  dea- 
cons. He  married,  while  yet  in  Guilford,  Elizabeth,  the  sister 
of  Abraham  Parmele,  the  progenitor  of  all  the  Parmeles  in 
Goshen.  Deacon  Baldwin,  his  wife,  and  his  eight  children,  all 
had  a  standing  in  this  church,  and  although  all  of  them  have 
long  since  gone  from  this  world,  yet  our  faith  sees  them  mem- 
bers of  the  church  triumphant  and  glorfied,  the  father  saying, 
"  Behold,  /  and  the  children  whom  the  Lord  hath  given  me  i" 
The  names  of  their  children  were  Nathaniel,  Elizabeth,  Sam- 
uel, Brewen,  Anne,  Sarah,  Lucy  and  Rachel.  The  late  Isaac 
Baldwin,  of  this  town,  was  the  Son  of  Nathaniel  Baldwin,  and 
Grand-son  of  Deacon  Nathaniel  Baldwin. 

The  late  Brewen  Baldwin,  was  Grand-son  of  Deacon  Na- 
thaniel Baldwin,  and  Son  of  Samuel  Baldwin.  But  the  late 
Daniel,  Stephen,  and   Elisha   Baldwin,   were    Grand-sons   of 


35 

Timothy  Baldwin,  of  Guilford,  brother  of  Deacon  Nathaniel 
Baldwin.  On  the  East  side  of  the  road,  and  nearly  opposite 
to  Asaph  Hall's  brick  house,  on  the  North  side  of  the  road 
which  leads  to  Hart  Hollow,  stood  the  house  of  John  Smith, 
from  Farmington.  Here  he  commenced  trading,  and  was  the 
jfirst  merchant  in  the  town.  After  about  two  years,  he  re- 
moved to  the  Towner  house,  just  Sauth  of  Robert  Palmer's  ; 
and  next  he  came  to  the  lot  on  which  Erastus  Lyman,  Esq., 
now  lives.  He  built  a  large  house  between  INIechanic's  Hal!, 
and  the  house  of  Esquire  Lyman,  afterwards  called  the  Kettle 
house.  He  for  some  years  made  potash,  on  the  little  stream 
at  the  foot  of  the  hill.  East  of  this  house  ;  and  from  this  cir- 
cumstance, the  stream  derived  its  name  Potash  brook.  The 
little  children  who  resort  to  this  place  in  the  summer  months, 
when  out  of  school,  to  catch  tadpoles,  or  porwigles,  may  re- 
member how  they  come  to  say,  "  Come  let  us  go  to  the  Pot- 
ash." Abigail,  the  daughter  of  this  Mr.  Smith,  married  the 
Rev.  Abel  Newell,  the  second  minister  in  the  town. 

We  return  to  East  street,  and  proceeding  North  from 
Smith's  house,  we  come  to  the  present  store  of  Putnam  Bailey. 
Here  stood  the  house  of  Timothy  Stanley/,  the  brother  of  Na- 
thaniel Stanley,  of  wham  we  have  spoken.  He  came  into 
town  in  the  summer  of  1742,  from  Farmington.  His  descend- 
ants are  numerous,  but  are  scattered  abroad  in  the  several 
States.  From  this  house  there  was  a  highway,  existing  in 
name,  a  little  distance  North  of  the  present  house  of  Collins 
Baldwin,  but  the  whole  country  North  and  East  was  yet  in 
possession  of  the  tenants  of  the  forest.  Nature  vegetated, 
blossomed,  matured,  and  fell,  without  the  friendly  hand  of  cul- 
ture, and  without  imparting  directly  a  single  blessing  to  civilized 
Hfe. 

la  Humphrey's  lane,  as  it  is  called,  a  road  running  parallel 
with  East  street,  South  of  the  North  meeting-house  and  a  little 
West  of  East  street,  there  were  tw'o  families.  On  the  West 
side  of  this  lane,  about  ten  rods  from  where  the  road  from  the 
meeting-house  comes  into  the  lane,  stood  the  house  of  John 
Wilcox,  from  Farmington.     Daniel  Wilcox,  from  Simsbury, 


36 

was  the  original  owner.  The  posterity  of  this  John  Wilcox 
have  now  become  numerous.  John  Flavel  Wilcox  is  his  de- 
scendant. The  other  family  in  this  street  was  Samuel  Hum- 
phery.  His  house  was  thirty  or  forty  rods  South  of  Wilcox, 
on  the  East  side  of  the  road  as  it  now  is,  but  on  the  West  as  it 
then  was.  Humphrey  was  an  original  proprietor  from  Sims- 
bury.  He  had  eishteen  children  by  four  wives — ten  sons,  and 
eight  daughters ;  and  his  posterity  are  very  numerous,  and 
have  ever  well  sustained  the  reputation  of  their  worthy  pro- 
genitor. Indeed  it  is  thought  that  the  descendants  of  this 
Samuel  Humphrey  are  more  numerous,  by  far,  than  the  de- 
scendants of  any  other  man  who  ever  lived  in  Goshen. 

We  have  now  but  one  more  location  to  notice.  It  is  that 
of  Abraham  Parmele,  from  Guilford.  His  father  was  the  orig- 
inal proprietor,  but  never  came  here  to  live.  His  son  came  on 
at  the  settlement  of  the  town.  His  house,  when  built, 
stood  about  130  rods  North-west  of  Whist  pond,  on  the  North 
and  South  road,  running  West  of  the  pond,  and  near  where 
the  East  and  West  road  from  Robert  Palmer's,  comes  into  the 
pond  road.  The  first  year  he  labored  on  this  lot  all  alone,  but 
boarded  with  his  uncle  Deacon  Nathaniel  Baldwin,  of  East 
street.  The  next  year  he  had  a  wigwam,  and  boarded  him- 
self; and  he  had  a  bed  too,  for  returning  from  Guilford  in  the 
spring  of  that  year,  he  brought  with  him  a  bag  of  grass-seed 
which  was  far  more  elastic  and  downy  than  the  floor  of  his  cabin. 
On  this  he  reposed  at  night,  secure  from  the  wolves  that  howled 
around  his  tenement.  It  is  said  of  young  Parmele,  that  his 
axe  was  heavy,  but  he  knew  it  not.  It  fell  thick  and  strong. 
The  sound  thereof  was  from  early  morn  until  the  stars  ap- 
peared, and  the  sturdy  sons  of  the  forest,  lay  around  him  as 
windfalls  !  But  although  he  was  thus  enjoying  single  blessed- 
ness in  the  stillness,  grandeur,  and  sublimity  of  a  deep  forest, 
yet  it  seems  he  did  not  think  it  good  for  man  to  live  alone  al- 
ways,  and  believed  there  must  be  a  help  meet  for  him  some 
where.  In  the  summer  of  1745,  his  house  went  up,  an  indica- 
tion of  a  revolution  in  his  domestic  establishment,  and  in  May^ 
1746,  Mary  Stanley,  the  4th  Daughter  of  Nathaniel  Stanley  of 


37 

of  East  Street,  was  legally  constituted  associated  Head  of  the 
establishment.  This  was  an  honorable,  and  a  happy  union. 
They  had  ten  children,  nearly  all  them,  with  the  Parents,  be- 
cam3  pious,  and  two  of  the  Sdus  entered  the  Gospel  Ministry. 
This  was  the  Father  of  our  much  loved  Friend,  and  Father  in 
the  town,  Nathaniel  Stanley  Parmsle,  who  still  survives  the 
successive  attacks  of  the  most  formidable  disease,  which  falls 
upon  our  race — Apoplexy  !  I  have  several  times  mention- 
ed Whist  Pond  in  the  vicinity  of  INIr.  Parmele's.  This  Pond 
derives  its  name  from  an  old  Indian  of  that  name,  who  came 
every  year  alone  from  Farmington,  and  spent  the  sea  son  in 
hunting  around  the  Pond,  and  fishing,  and  bathing  in  it,  but 
who  was  finally  drowned  in  its  waters.  I  will  here  remark 
that  Gun  Stock  Brook,  in  the  North  part  of  the  town,  derived 
its  name  from  the  fact,  that  curly  Maple  grew  plentifully 
upon  its  banks,  which  was  much  used  during  the  war  of  the 
revolution  in  the  manufacture  of  stocks  for  muskets. 

I  have  now  presented  you  with  a  map  of  this  towm,  as  it 
was  wiien  the  original  Proprietors  were  fairly  settled  on  their 
lots.  And  we  can  hardly  fail  to  see  that  some  parts  of  the 
town,  were  then  as  thickly  inhabited  as  at  this  day.  This  was 
the  case  with  West  street  all  the  distance  to  Litchfield  line. 
It  was  so  on  West  side  from  Timothy  Tuttle's  to  the  house  of 
William  Miles,  and  on  East  street,  from  Cyprian  Collins  to 
Putnam  Bailey's  store. 

But  other  parts  of  the  town,  were  either  thinly  inhabited  or 
remained  a  wilderness,  as  at  the  beginning.  But  how  solemn 
the  thought,  that  of  all  the  families  spoken  of,  not  one  remains. 
But  few  of  their  children  remain,  and  these  are  all  bending  to 
the  earth  for  very  age  ! 

How  brief  is  this  life  !     How  mutable  all  things  here  ! 

We  will  now  bring  into  view  some  of  the  civil,  and  ecclesi- 
astical affairs  of  the  town,  at  the  same  time  of  which  we  have 
been  speaking — 1745.  It  seems  that  at  an  early  period,  the 
inhabitants  of  the  North  part  of  the  town,  were  sensible  of  the 
disadvantages  they  labored  under,  from  the  location  of  the 
meeting  h  use   in   this   place,   and   that  they   commendably 


38 

labored,  for  one  of  two  things,  either,  that  the  second  meeting 
house  should  be  located  further  North,  or  that  the  town  should 
be  divided  into  two  Parishes.     And  this  was  the  cause  of  a 
Committee  being  appointed  by  the  General  Assembly  in  1740 
to  come  to  this  place,  and  decide  where  the  house  should  stand. 
And  we  can  scarcely  doubt  but  that  it  was  in  view  of  another 
ecclesiastical  society   existing   at    the    North,  that  the  stake 
for  the  second  meeting  house  was  placed  here  ;  for  no  man 
in  his  senses  could   suppose,  that  a  house   for  worship  here, 
would  give  equal  advantages,  to  the  North,  with  those  imparted 
to  the  South.      Accordingly,  we  find  a  vote  passed  at  a  pub- 
lic town  meeting,  on  the  10th  of  December,  1745,  expressing 
their  willingrness  for  the  town  to  be  divided  into  two  ecclesias- 
tical  societies,  as  soon  as  the  North  should  stand  1500  pounds 
on  the  grand  list,  and  the  dividing  line  should  be  through  the 
centre  of  the  town,  running  East  and  West.     This  appears  to 
have  been  satisfactory  at  the  time,  and  the  North  and  South 
proceeded  on  in  their  original  relation  ;  and  indeed,  nothing 
appears  on  record  to  show  that  this  subject  ever  alienated  the 
feelings  of  the  brethren  of  the  church,  or  that  it  ever  interrup- 
ted the  community  of  feeling,  between  families  naturally  allied. 
But  at  this  early  period  of  Mr.  Heaton's  ministry  among  the 
people  of  Goshen,  dissatisfaction  arose  in  the  minds  of  many 
in  regard  to  him,  and  early  in  the  year  of  1746,  we  find  one  of 
the  most  loving,  modest,  and  polite  invitations  for  Mr.  Heaton 
to  leave  them,  that  may  be  found,  I  think,  on  history.     The 
vote  stands  thus  : — "  Voted,  that  we  will  choose  a  Committee 
to  treat  with  our  Rev.   Pastor,  about  some  reasonable,  and 
loving  terms  of  agreement,  so  that  the  door  may  be  opened, 
if  he  in  his  wisdom,  shall  think  fit,  to  seek  for  an  orderly  dis- 
mission from  the  work  of  the  ministry  in  this  place,  or  to  treat 
with  him  about  making  same  suitable  alterations." 

Mr.  Heaton,  it  seems,  was  not  equally  pacific,  and  loving 
towards  his  people,  but  retained  h"s  relation  to  them  as  a  Pas- 
tor, seven  years  longer.  The  reasons  for  this  dissatisfaction 
are  no  where  publicly  stated  ;  but  it  may  be  supposed,  that 
the  pressure  of  the  times,  together  with  their  recent  origin, 


39 

and  expenditures,  contributed  something   to  this  uneasiness ; 
for  we  have  arrived  to  that  period,  when  the  inhabitants  were 
visited  with  the  greatest  calamity,  they  ever  were  called  to 
experience,  I  mean  what  is  termed  the   The  Old  French  war ! 
This  was  a  war  that  originated  from  ttie   rival  interests   of 
France  and  England,  both  in  Europe,  and  America.     France 
had  long  asserted  her  right  to  North  America,  by  prior  discov- 
ery, and  she  had  actually  been  prior  in  her  settlements,  in  No- 
va Scotia  and  in  Canada.     She  claimed  also  all  the  great  val- 
ey  of  the  West,  and  as  fast  as  possible  for  her,  she  sent  out 
her  Jesuit  Pioneers,  to  travel  from  the  gulf  of  Mexico  to  the 
great  lakes,  gaining  the  affections,  and  confidence  of  all  the  In- 
dian tribes  making  treaties  with   them,  inspiring  them  with 
hatred,  and  revenge  towards  the  English  Colonies,  building 
forts  upon  the  banks  of  the  father  of  rivers,  the  Mississippi, 
and  upon  the  shores  of  the  great  lakes  ;  and  she  viewed  the 
English  Colonies  upon  the  shores  of  the  Atlantic,  as  intruders, 
and  enemies.     England,  on  the  other  hand,  viewed  the  advan- 
ces of  the  French,  with  equal  jealousy,  and  she  was  resolved 
on  sustaining  her  colonies,  and  expelling  the  French  from  North 
America.     It  was  natural,  then,  to  expect,  that  in  the  event  of 
war  between  France  and  England  in  Europe,  this  country 
would  become  the  arena  where  the  combatants  would  spend 
no  inconsiderable  portion  of  their  strength.     And  so  it  turned 
out,  and  the  portion  which  fell  to  these  Colonies  was  calamit- 
ous in  the  extreme.     The  evils  they  suffered,  were  not  the  or- 
dinary concomitants  of  war  simply,  but  the  horrors  of  an  In- 
dian war,  aggravated  by  every  cruelty,  that  a  powerful,  en- 
lightened, and  exasperated  enemy  could  suggest,  so  that  when 
war  was  proclaimed,  between  these  two  nations  in  1744,  these 
Colonies  were  the  first  to  feel  the  miseries  of  the  tomahawk 
and  scalping  knife,  sharpened  and  rendered  mighty  by  for- 
eign leaders,  who  rioted  in  the  blood  of  mother's,  and  their 
infants.     These  Colonies  then   took  up  arms,  not  only  in  de- 
fence of  civil  rights,  but  they  fought  for  their  lives,  and   the 
lives  of  their  families.     It  was  victory  or  death.     The  first 
enterprizc  of  the  Colonies  against  the  French  in  the  year  1745, 


40 

was  directed  against  Louisburg,  the  capital  of  the  French  set- 
tlement in  Nova  Scotia,  and  vicinity.  It  was  a  strongly  forti- 
fied place.  But  they  were  surprised  and  captured  by  the 
New  England  troops.  Connecticut,  although  then  a  small  Col- 
ony, furnished  a  thousand  men  for  the  taking  and  retaining  of 
that  place.  I  know  not  whether  any  men  from  Goshen  were 
in  the  first  expedition  against  Louisburg ;  but  they  could  not 
but  feel  the  effects  of  this  campaign,  as  the  Colonies  paid  the 
whole  expense  ;  and  although  one  million  pounds  sterling, 
was  captured  at,  and  before  Louisburg,  by  New  England 
troops,  not  one  cent  came  to  the  aid  of  the  colonies,  except  a 
small  compensation  to  a  Capt.  Fletcher,  who  decoyed  a  South 
Sea  ship  into  the  harbor  of  Louisburg,  estimated  at  400,000 
poimds.  For  the  prosecution  of  the  war  in  1746,  Connecticut 
raised  1000  men,  and  gave  thirty  pounds  bounty  for  every  en- 
listment. The  enlistment  alone  cost  the  colony  30,000  pounds. 
But  on  account  of  troubles  at  home,  neither  England  or  France 
did  much  to  decide  the  contest  in  this  country,  in  this,  or  the 
following  year ;  and  in  April,  1748,  a  treaty  was  entered  into, 
which  suspended  hostilities,  about  six  years  until  1754.  Tliis 
treaty  restored  all  things  as  they  were  before  the  war. 

We  will  now  look  at  some  of  the  domestic  transactions  of  the 
town  from  1745  to  1754.  At  a  town  meeting,  February  16th, 
1747,  it  was  voted  to  pay  Timothy  Stanley  thirty  shillings,  old 
tenor,  for  killing  a  wolf  April  22,  1747,  the  town  forbids  the 
Select  men  paying  the  Rev.  ]SIr.  Ileaton  any  money.  Janua- 
ry 4,  1748,  the  town  raise  a  committee  to  lay  out  a  road  four 
rods  wide  from  the  meeting  house,  north  to  Canaan.  Septem- 
ber 19,  1749,  a  committee  is  raised  to  look  out  a  road  from 
Deacon  Gideon  Thompson's  (opposite  the  present  house  of 
Truman  Starr,  Esq.)  to  Frisbie's  Mills  in  Canada,  and  to  Corn- 
wall. April  8,  1751,  It  was  voted  that  Samuel  Pettibone, 
Esq.  be  an  agent  to  petition  the  General  Assembly,  for  a  coun- 
ty in  this  part  of  their  government.  I  would  here  remark  that 
until  1751,  these  Western  towns  were  all  included  in  the  coun- 
ty of  Hartford  ;  but  this  year  the  new  county  of  Litchfield 
was  created.     In  June,  1753,  the  Rev.  Stephen  Heaton  was 


41 

dismissed  from  his  pastoral  relation  to  this  church,  and  people, 
and  steps  were  immediately  taken  to  procure  prcacliing.  It 
appears  that  Mr.  Abel  Newell,  was  their  first  candidate  upon 
Mr.  Heaton's  removal,  that  he  received  a  call  to  settle  with 
them  in  1754,  but  did  not  receive  ordination  till  1755.  The 
town  stipulated  to  pay  Mr.  Newell  fifteen  hundred  pounds 
settlement,  old  tenor,  within  three  years  of  his  ordination,  500 
pounds  annually  for  three  years.  His  salary  for  the  first  year 
was  to  be  equal  in  value  to  one  hundred  bushels  of  wheat,  to 
sixty-six  bushels  of  rye,  and  to  two  hundred  and  one  bushels  of 
Indian  corn  ;  and  then  to  rise  forty  pounds  per  annum,  old 
tenor,  in  the  same  proportion  to  said  grain,  till  the  salary  sliould 
amount  in  value  to  one  hundred  and  twelve  bushels  of  wheat, 
to  one  hundred  and  thirty  four  bushels  of  rye,  and  to  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty  five  bushels  of  Indian  corn,  and  then  his  sala- 
ry was  to  remain  fixed  at  that  sum. 

But  we  now  come  to  a  renewal  of  the  old  French  war, 
wliich  had  been  suspended  with  no  other  view  than  to  give  the 
principal  belligerents  in  Europe,  time  to  recruit  their  exhausted 
energies.  And  scarcely  had  these  colonies  enjoyed  a  respite 
from  their  toils  and  dangers  ;  for  the  French  foreeseing  there 
must  be  a  renewal  of  the  contest  soon,  had  kept  the  Indians 
constantly  irritated,  and  they  had  again  and  again  massacred 
some  and  captured  others  of  our  border  inhabitants.  But 
now  the  recruited  energies  of  France  and  England  awoke, 
and  it  was  soon  apparent,  that  each  of  them  was  preparing  to 
give  the  other  the  fatal  blow.  Four  expeditions  were  planned 
by  England  against  the  French  this  season,  1755.  One 
against  fort  Du  Quesne  in  Ohio,  commanded  by  General  Brad- 
dock,  and  one  against  Nova  Scotia,  and  a  third  against  Crown 
Point,  and  a  fourth  against  Niagara.  The  colonies  were  called 
upon  to  raise,  equip,  and  provision  as  many  troops  as  they  well 
could.  Connecticut  sent  into  the  field  one  thousand  men,  and 
voted  to  raise  five  hundred  more,  and  to  have  them  ready  to 
march  at  a  moment's  warning  if  occasion  demanded.  The 
Connecticut  troops  were  destined  for  Crown  Point,  under  the 
command  of  Major  General  Lyman.  In  August  these  troops 
6 


42 

reached  the  South  end  of  lake  George,  where  they  had  their 
first  battle  with  the  French  and  Indians,  under  Baron  Deiskau, 
It  was  a  hard  fought  battle,  but  the  French  were  defeated,  their 
General  wounded,  and  taken  prisoner,  and  seven  hundred  of 
his  troops  left  dead  on  the  field.     The  loss  of  the  Provincials 
was  two  hundred.     Some  men  from  this  town  were  in  that 
battle,  and  here  it  was  that  Timothy  Gaylord  lost  his  life  by  the 
unerring  aim  of  an  Indian,  as  previously  stated.     Tliis  battle 
aroused  the  fears,  and  energies  of  all  New  England,     Connect- 
icut called  a  special  Assembly,  and  m  a  little  more  than  one 
week,   she  raised,  equipped,  and   sent  out  two  regiments  of 
seven  hundred  and  fifty  men  each,  to  reinforce  our  army,  so 
that  in  1755,  Connecticut  alone  sent  into  the  field  two  thousand 
five  hundred  troops,  requiring  at  that  time,  doubtless,  a  greater 
effort,  than  she  would  now  make  in  sending  thirty  thousand 
troops  into  tl^  field  ;  the    number  of  her  inhabitants  at  that 
time,  poor  as  they  were,  not  exceeding  we  should  think,  the 
present  number  in  the  two  counties  of  Hartford  and  Litch- 
field.    With  this  battle  terminated  the  campaign  of  1 755.     Of 
the  four  expiditions  projected  by  England  for  this  year,  two 
were  successful,  and  two  were  failures.     That  against  Nova 
Scotia  succeeded,  and  this  at  lake  George  ;  but    that  under 
General  Braddock  was  a  total  defeat,  and  that  under  Govern- 
or Shirley  against  Niagara,  a  failure.     The  plan  of  operations 
for  1756,  was  to  prosecute   the  enterprises   against    Crown 
Point,  Niagara,  and  fort  Du  Quesne.     To  meet  the  expecta- 
tions of  England,  Connecticut  raised  two  thousand  five  hun- 
dred men,  more  than  double  the  number  required  by  the  Com- 
mander in  Chief,  and  more  than  double  her  proportion  to  oth- 
er colonies.     England  sent  out  more    troops  with  new  com- 
manders. General   Abercrombie,  and  Lord  Loudon.     But  all 
was  delay  on  the  part  of  England,  and  notwithstanding  there 
was  the  finest  army,  early  in  the  camp  at  Albany,  ever  yet 
seen  in  the  colonies,  ten  thousand  strong,  with  two  thousand 
in  their  forts  at  the  North,  yet  the  Generals  did  not  reach  Al- 
bany until  about  the  first  of  July,  and  nothing  was  done  that 
year,  offensive,  and  the  English  lost  their  important  fort  at  Os- 


43 

wego.     Although  the  colonies  were  greatly  disheartened  in 
view  of  these  results,  and  had  lost  their  confidence  in  these 
Generals,  yet  Connecticut   raised  for  the  campaign  of  1757, 
two  thousand  five  hundred  troops,  and  they  were  in  readiness 
to  enter  the  field  at  an  early  day.     But  when  the  fleet  arrived 
from  England  this  year,  much  of  the  season  was  past.     They 
reached  Halifax  the  9th  day  of  July,  and  then  the  colonies 
learned  that  the  Northern  campaign  was  wholly  laid  aside^ 
the  forts  Edward,  and  William  Henry,  were  to  be  left  wholly 
unsustained,  and  their  troops  for  that  year  were  to  be  called 
away  to  recapture  Louisburg,  on  the  Island  of  Cape  Breton* 
which  had  been  surrendered  at  the  treaty  of  1748.     Nothing 
could  exceed  the  astonishment  of  the  colonies,  at  the  folly,  and 
madness  of  this  course,  for  they  foresaw  nothing  but  disaste  r 
and  ruin  attending  it ;  but  they  acquiesced,  until  the  British 
commander,  relinquished  the  object   himself;  but  at  so  late  a 
period  in  the  season,  as  to  prevent  their  doing  any  thing  for  the 
support   of  their  forts  at  the  North.     The  French  General 
Montcalm,  seeing  the  exposed  situation  of  these  forts,  near  lake 
George,  moved  with  his  army  from  Crown  Point,  and  shortly 
reduced  them.     Many  Americans  fell  in,  and  around  those 
forts,  and  a  vast  amount  of  property  in  military  stores,  fell 
into  the  possession  of  the  French.     The   colonies  made  all 
haste  to  reinforce  these  forts,  as  soon  as  they  heard  that  they 
w^ere  invested,  and  Connecticut  sent    forward  five  thousand 
troops,  but  the  fatal  blow  was  struck  before  relief  could  be  af- 
forded.    This  terminated  the  third  year  of  the  war.     The  re- 
sources of  the  colonies   were  nearly  exhausted.     Their  men 
had  perished  in  battle,  and  in  camp,  and  their  only  reward 
was  defeat,  and   disgrace.      Dissatisfaction  was  now   at  its 
height  in  the  colonies,  and  it  extended  to  the  mother  country. 
This  produced  a  change  in  the  ministry,  and  the  incomparable 
Pitt,  was  brought  forward.     This  inspired  all  with  new  life, 
and  Connecticut,  exhausted,  and  feeble  as  she  was,  voted  to 
raise  five  thousand  troops  for  the  campaign  of  1758,  and  to 
raise  thirty  thousand  pounds,  lawful  money,  by  the  emission 
of  bills  of  credit,  bearing  interest  at  five  per  cent.     With  the 


44 

troops  and  fleet,  which  came  out   from  England  this  year, 
came  as  commanders,  the  ever  memorable  names,  Amherst, 
and  Wolfe.     They  inspired  the  armies  with  invincible  cour- 
age.    The  fruit  of  this  campaign  was  the  fall  of  Louisburg, 
forts  Edward,  and  William  Henry,  Frontenac,  and  Du  Ques- 
ne,  and  every  thing  was  inspiring  to  England  and  the  colonies. 
To  prepare  for  the  campaign  of  1759,  Connecticut  voted  to 
raise  five  thousand  troops,  and  fifty  thousand  pounds,  lawful 
money  by  bills  of  credit,  and  laid  a  tax  adequate  to  redeem  all 
their  bills.     The  design  of  this   campaign,  was  to  carry  the 
war  into  the  heart  of  Canada,  and  strike  an  effectual  blow  up- 
on an  enemy  that  had  so  lately  triumphed,  and  was  full  of 
hope.     The  troops  were  early  in  the  field,  and  Ticonderoga, 
and>  Crown  Point,  were  the  first  to  fall  into  the  possession  of 
the  English.     The  fort  at  Niagara,  was  the  next  to  surrender, 
and  lastly  Quebec  itself,  the  Gibralter  of  America,  September 
18th,  1759.     This  was  the  decisive  blow,  so  long  anticipated, 
for  which  so  much  blood,  and  treasure  had  been  expended  ! 
The  battle  which  transferred  Quebec  from  the  hands  of  the 
French,  to  those  of  the  English,  will  ever  stand  on  history,  as 
one  of  the  most  tremendous,  that  was  ever  fought  by  men. 
Each  General,  each  subaltern,  and  each  soldier,  on  both  sides, 
fought  as  for  their  all,  and  for  the  last  time  I     The  two  com- 
manders, Wolfe,  and  Montcalm,  may  well  compare  with  Han- 
nibal, and  Scipio,  before  the  walls  of  Carthage.     They  both 
fell,  the  former,  rejoicing  that  his  death  was  the  ransom  of  his 
country  from  incalculable  evil,  and  the  latter  sorrowing  in  view 
of  that  cloud,  that  hung  over  his  country's  future  destiny  !     I 
must  be  permitted  to  say  in  this  connexion,  that  history  has 
never  exhibited  to  me  more  splendid  military  talents,  than  we 
witness  in   General  Wolf,  at  the  capture  of  Louisburg,  and 
then  at  Quebec.     But  my  friends,  let  us  remember  that  our 
father''s  were  there  !     They  were  among  the  brave,  and  true 
hearted,  and  the  dead  !     Some  probably  from  our  own  town, 
who  on  that  terrible,  eventful  day,  amidst  thunder,  fire,  and 
blood,  thought  of  parents,  wives,  and  children  on  the  green  hills 
of  Goshen,  whom  they  were  never  to  see  !     Peace  to  their 
ashes  on  the  heights  of  Abraham.     While  they  sleep,  we  their 


45 

descendants  will  not  be  unmindful  of  the  debt  of  gratitude  we 
owe  them. 

But  with  the  fall  of  Quebec,  there  was  not  the  immediate 
surrender  of  all  the  forces  of  the  French  in  Canada,  and  there 
was  another^demand  of  the  colonies  for  an  army  to  be  raised 
for  a  campaign  in  1760.  Connecticut  again  raised  her  5,000 
men,  and  sent  them  into  the  field,  and  this  year,  the  remaining 
fragments  of  the  French  armies  were  captured,  and  all  the 
Canadas  were  in  the  possession  of  the  British  Crown.  But  all 
those  forts  which  had  been  taken  from  the  enemy,  were  to  be 
garrisoned ;  new  forts  to  be  built,  roads  to  be  repaired,  and 
new  ones  made,  and  every  thing  done  to  secure  the  peace  of 
this  extended  territory  !  For  these,  another  requisition  was 
made  of  the  colonies  for  an  army  in  1761.  Connecticut 
raised  2300  men,  and  45,000  pounds  to  defray  the  expenses  ! 
Again  the  same  number  of  troops  were  required  for  1762. 
They  were  raised  by  this  colony,  and  65,000  pounds  were 
voted  to  be  raised,  and  taxes  laid  to  redeem  the  bills.  But  the 
treaty  of  Paris,  in  February,  1763,  released  these  colonies  from 
the  further  labors,  sacrifices,  and  sufferings,  of  a  long,  and 
cruelly  savage  war.  Great  joy  was  experienced  on  the  recep- 
tion of  the  news  of  peace,  and  all  successes  were  ascribed  to 
Him,  who  ruleth  over  all.  But  almost  incredible  was  the  ex- 
pense of  this,  then  small,  and  infant  colony.  After  all  remu- 
neration from  the  British  Parhament,  it  appears  that  the  colony 
had  expended  more  than  400,000  pounds  sterling,  exclusive  of 
the  expenses  of  the  four  first  years  of  the  war  from  1 744  to 
1748.  And  this  vast  amount  was  paid  by  this  colony,  with 
httle  or  no  depreciation  in  their  bills,  because  they  taxed  the 
people  from  year  to  year,  to  meet  the  demands  on  the  treasury. 
And  now  let  us  reflect  for  a  moment,  with  what  constancy 
and  perseverance  the  colonies  sustained  those  burdens  !  And 
what  hardships,  new  settlements  lilie  those  of  this  town,  at 
that  day,  must  have  suffered,  in  order  to  meet  the  expenses  of 
government,  and  all  domestic  expenses  !  These  are  times  we 
know  not  by  any  experience,  and  we  hear  little  of  them  at  this 
day,  because  a  war  succeeded  that,  which  resulted  in  our  Inde- 


46 

pendence,  a  theme  ever  new,  and  inspiring  to  us ;  but  we  can 
remember  the  tales  of  old  men,  thirty,  forty,  and  fifty  years 
ago,  and  they  carried  us  back  to  the  old  war,  for  hard- 
ships, sufferings,  and  deeds  of  daring  ;  and  Louisburg,  Forts 
Edward  and  WiUiam  Henry,  and  the  heights  of  Abraham, 
could  scarcely  be  named,  without  convulsing  their  frames,  and 
drawing  tears  from  their  eyes. 

There  is  nothing  especially  interesting  in  the  public  transac- 
tions of  the  town,  from  1755  to  1765.  There  is  one  vote  of 
the  town  in  1762,  which  may  be  humiliating  to  our  present 
feelings,  and  yet  it  confirms  what  I  have  already  stated  in  re- 
gard to  the  pressure  of  the  times,  in  the  new  settlements  at  that 
period,  and  shows  how  the  views  and  feelings  of  men,  will 
differ  at  different  times,  in  regard  to  the  morality  of  things, 
according  to  the  light  they  have  on  those  subjects.  The  vote 
reads  thus,  "  Voted  to  choose  an  agent  for  said  town  to  pre- 
fer a  prayer  to  the  General  Assembly  at  their  session  in  May 
next,  praying  said  Assembly  to  grant  to  said  town,  liberty  to 
raise  the  sum  of  200  pounds,  by  a  Lottery,  for  the  making  and 
mending  highways,  in  said  town,  under  such  regulations  as  said 
Assembly  in  their  wisdom,  shall  think  proper."  Another  vote 
January  12, 1763,  will  show  us  the  price  of  different  kinds  of 
grain  at  that  time — "  Voted  to  give  the  Rev.  Mr.  Newell  for 
his  services  in  the  ministry,  in  this  town  the  year  past — for 
wheat,  four  shillings  per  bushel — and  for  rye,  two  shillings 
and  nine  pence  per  bushel — and  for  Indian  corn,  two  shillings 
per  bushel." 

April  21, 1768,  "Voted  forty-nine  to  twenty-two,  that  a  new 
meeting-house  is  needed.  July  3,  1769,  Voted  to  build  a  new 
meeting-house  for  public  worship,  at  the  place  affixed  by  the 
County  Court  in  said  town.  Voted,  that  said  meeting-house 
be  sixty-four  feet  in  length,  and  forty-four  in  breadth,  and 
that  Ensign  David  Norton,  Lieut.  Parmele,  and  Zacheus  Gris- 
would  be  a  committee  to  carry  on  the  business  of  building  said 
meeting-house."  This  third  meeting-house  was  raised  in  the 
spring  of  the  next  year,  1770,  giving  twenty-six  years  for  the 
existence  of  the  second  meeting-house,  and  sixty-two  years  for 


47 

the  third,  as  that  was  removed  to  make  way  for  the  present 
house  in  1832.  In  the  autumn  of  1771,  Nov.  15,  Ensign  Eli- 
sha  Blin  was  appointed  first  Chorister,  Fisk  Beach  the  second, 
and  Miles  Norton  the  third,  at  a  regular  town  meeting. 

I  would  here  stop  to  speak  of  certain  appendages,  to  that 
meeting-house,  and  to  many  others  in  the  country  at  that  day. 
They  were  called  Sabbath  day  houses,  or  noon  houses.  The 
object  of  these  houses,  was  to  furnish  the  owners  of  them,  and 
such  of  their  friends  as  they  were  disposed  to  invite,  with  a 
warm  retreat,  in  winter,  during  the  interval  between  forenoon 
and  afternoon  public  services.  And  we  must  bear  in  mind  that 
at  that  day,  a  stove  in  a  meeting-house  was  a  thing  unknown, 
and  unthought  of.  These  houses  generally  consisted  of  two 
rooms,  ten  or  twelve  feet  square,  with  a  chimney  in  the  cen- 
ter between  them,  and  a  fire-place  in  each  room.  They  were 
generally  built  at  the  united  expense  of  two,  or  more  families. 
Dry  fuel  was  kept  in  each  house,  ready  for  kindling  a  fire.  On 
the  morning  of  the  Sabbath,  the  owner  of  each  room  deposited 
in  his  saddle-bags  the  necessary  refreshment  for  himself  and 
family,  and  a  bottle  of  beer,  or  cider,  and  took  an  early  start 
for  the  sanctuary.  He  first  called  at  his  Sabbath  day  house, 
built  him  a  fire,  deposited  his  lunceon,  warmed  himself  and 
family,  and  at  the  hour  of  worship,  they  were  all  ready  to 
sally  forth,  and  to  shiver  in  the  cold,  during  the  morning  ser- 
vices, at  the  house  of  worship.  At  noon  they  returned  to  their 
Sabbath  houses,  with  some  invited  friends,  perhaps,  where 
a  warm  room  received  them :  the  fire  having  been  in 
operation  during  the  morning  exercises.  The  saddle-bags 
were  now  brought  forth,  and  their  contents  discharged  upon  a 
Prophet's  table,  of  which  all  partook  a  little,  and  each  in  turn 
drank  at  the  bottle.  This  service  being  performed,  and 
thanks  returned,  the  Patriarch  of  the  family,  drew  from  his 
pocket  the  notes  he  had  taken  during  the  morning  service,  and 
the  sermon  came  under  renewed,  and  distinct  consideration, 
all  enjoying  the  utmost  freedom  in  their  remarks.  Sometimes 
a  well  chosen  chapter,  or  paragraph  was  read  from  an  author, 
and  the  service  was  not  unfrequcntly  concluded  by  prayer  ; 


48 

then  all  returned  to  the  sanctuary  to  seek  a  blessing  there.  If 
the  cold  was  severe,  the  family  might  return  to  their  house  to 
warm  them,  before  they  sought  their  habitation.  The  fire 
was  then  extinguished,  the  saddle-bags  and  the  fragments  were 
gathered  up,  the  house  locked,  and  all  returned  to  their  home, 
there  were  no  less  than  four  of  these  houses  standing  around 
the  third  meeting-house  at  once,  three  on  the  North  side  of 
the  road,  West  of  the  present  blacksmith's  shop,  and  one  South, 
by  the  town  post  between  the  brick  school-house,  and  H.  N. 
Lyman's  store.  The  Sabbath  house  that  stood  by  the  present 
town  post,  was  owned  by  Deacon  Moses  Lyman,  and  Capt. 
Jonathan  Buel,  father  of  the  present  Capt.  Jonathan  Buel. 
The  one  farthest  East,  on  the  North,  was  owned  by  Dea. 
Ebenezer  Norton,  and  his  brother  Samuel  Norton.  The  next 
West  of  them  was  owned  by  Dea.  Nathaniel  Baldwin,  and 
Samuel  Baldwin,  and  the  third  was  owned  by  Nehemiah 
Lewis,  and  Adna  Beach. 

I  am  now  in  the  history  of  the  town,  1772,  when  a  road  was 
laid  out,  directly  West  from  the  meeting-house,  to  Elisha 
Thompson's  house,  standing  near  the  present  cider  mill  of  Ira 
Thompson. 

We  will  now  very  cheerfully  give  the  Ladies  of  Goshen  a 
place  in  our  history,  since  they  did  at  the  time,  we  are  now 
speaking  of  demonstrate,  that  some  things  could  be  done  then, 
as  well  as  at  other  times.  There  arose  a  sphining-match, 
among  the  young  married  ladies,  at  the  house  of  Nehemiah 
Lewis,  the  late  residence  of  Samuel  D.  Street.  The  trial 
was  at  the  foot-wheel,  in  spinning  linen.  The  conditions  were 
previously  defined,  and  agreed  to,  viz  :  Tliey  might  spin  during 
the  whole  twenty-four  hours  if  they  cliose.  They  were  to 
have  their  distaffs  prepared  for  them,  anl  their  yarn  reeled 
by  others.  Upon  the  first  trial,  at  Lews'  house  many  did 
well.  The  wife  of  Stephen  Tuttle  spun  five  runs,  which  were 
equal  to  two  and  a  half  days'  labour,  when  on  hire.  Several 
others  spun  four  runs  each  ;  but  Mrs.  Tuttle  came  off  victor. 
But  this  aroused  the  ambition  of  some  of  the  unmarried  ladies, 
and  Lydia  Beach,   the  daughter  of  Dea.  Edmund  Beach,  of 


49 

East-street,  was  the  first  to  come  forward,  and  take  up  tKe 
gauntlet.  She  spun  from  early  dawn  to  nine  o'clock  in  the 
evenino-.  She  had  her  distaffs  prepared,  her  yarn  reeled,  and 
her  food  put  into  her  mouth.  She  spun  in  this  time,  seven 
runs,  three  and  a  half  days'  labour,  and  took  the  wreath  from 
the  brow  of  Mrs.  Tuttle.*  Upon  hearing  of  the  exploit  of  Miss 
Beach,  the  wife  ofCapt.  Isaac  Pratt,  of  the  South  part  of  the 
town,  came  upon  the  arena.  Between  early  dawn,  and  the 
setting  of  the  sun,  she  had  actually  spun  six  runs,  but  at  this 
moment,  her  husband  interfered,  and  peremptorily  forbade  her 
proceeding  further.  She  sat  down,  and  wept  like  a  child,  when 
she  ought  to  have  rejoiced,  that  she  possessed  a  husband,  in 
whose  eyes  her  future  health  and  happiness  were  more  pre- 
cious, them  the  brief  applause  which  might  arise  from  success 
in  that  contest. 

The  hand  of  Miss  Lydia  was  sought  in  marriage,  by  the 
young,  and  aspiring  Jesse  Buel,  son  of  Capt.  Jonathan  Buel, 
and  she  was  led  to  the  hymenial  altar,  while  her  garland  was 
yet  fresh  upon  her  brow  ;  but  the  doating  husband  was  destined 
to  see  it  wither  down  to  the  grave,  for  Lydia  never  enjoyed 
health  from  the  hour  of  her  triumph. 

But  I  must  return  to  graver  subjects.     Times  had  now  be- 
come dark  in  these  colonies,  by  reason  of  the  cloud  that  hung 
over  them,  portending  an  explosion,  that  would  convulse  the 
old,  and  new  world.     In  the  last  French  war,  which  was  ter- 
minated in  1763,  the  English  nation  had  learned  more  of  the 
moral  and  physical  powers  of  the  colonies,  than  she  had  ever 
before  known  ;  and  having  meditated  for  a  hundred  years,  on 
the  plan  of  depriving  the  colonies  of  their  chartered  rights,  and 
rendering  them  vassals  of  the  crown,  she  felt  the  necessity  of 
asserting  her  rights,  and  enforcing  her  claims,  before  the  colo- 
nies should  become  any  more  formidable,  than  they  then  were. 
And  as  she  knew  that  her  loyal  subjects  in  America  had  ex- 
hausted their  treasures,  and  poured  out  their  blood,  as  free  as 
water,  to  sustain  the  cause  of  their  mother  country,  and  their 

*  Some  of  our  Matrons  say,  that  ten  runs  were  a  week's  labor  ;  if  so,  Miss 
Lydia  performed  the  labour  of  four  days,  and  one  fifth  of  a  day  in  one  day. 
7 


50 

own  cause  against  their  common  enemy,  she  thought  that  a 
favorable  moment  to  enforce  the  right  she  claimed  to  tax  the 
colonies  in  all  cases  whatever,  vs^ithout  representation  or  con- 
sent. Accordingly,  as  soon  as  she  had  concluded  a  treaty  with 
France,  she  voted  taxes  upon  these  colonies.  But  almost  uni- 
versally was  her  right  to  do  so  denied,  and  her  oppressive  acts 
repudiated,  and  resisted. 

For  about  twelve  years,  matters  were  growing  to  a  crisis, 
Massachusetts  leading  in  the  opposition.  In  1774,  British 
troops  were  sent  over  to  Boston  to  quell  all  opposition  to  Brit- 
ish exactions,  which  produced  great  sensation  in  the  colonies. 
And  although  the  British  crown  professed  to  have  no  contro- 
versy with  her  colonies,  except  Massachusetts,  hoping  thereby 
to  divide  the  colonies  in  the  approaching  contest,  yet  all  had 
the  sagacity  to  see  that  they  must  all  ultimately  stand  or  fall 
with  Massachusetts,  and  they  agreed  to  take  part  with  her. 
Delegates  from  ditterent  colonies  were  sent  to  Philadelphia  in 
September,  1774,  to  form  a  Congress  of  the  Colonies,  to  con- 
sult, to  devise  plans,  and  to  afiord  mutual  aid  in  executing 
them.  It  was  while  this  first  Congress  was  in  session,  Sept. 
20th,  1774,  that  this  town  chose  a  Committee  to  correspond 
with  Committees  of  county  and  colony,  "  relating  to  the  pres- 
ent alarming  situation  of  our  affairs  in  North  America."  It 
will  be  recollected  that  this  first  Congress  addressed  the  in- 
habitants of  the  several  colonies  in  a  circular  stating  what  they 
had  done,  the  right  they  had  so  to  do,  with  the  necessity  ex- 
isting in  the  case,  and  calling  upon  all  to  unite  in  support  of 
these  measures.  We  find  the  response  of  this  town  to  this 
address,  bearing  date  Dec.  12th,  1774,  at  a  regular  town 
meeting.  The  resolution  is  patriotic  and  well-expressed : 
Voted,  "  that  the  resolves  and  declarations  concerning  the  lib- 
erties of  the  several  governments  in  North  America,  come  into 
by  said  Congress,  are  just,  and  founded  in  the  law  of  God,  of 
Nature,  the  English  Constitution,  and  the  particular  privi- 
leges granted  to  the  several  colonies  aforesaid,  by  their 
respective  charters  ;  and  this  town  will  use  their  utmost  en- 
deavors in   all  lawful  ways,  to  secure  and  defend  the  same  to 


61 

ourselves,  and  hand  the   same  down  to  the  latest  posterity  { 
and  that  we  approve  and  acquiesce  in  the  associational  agree- 
ment come  into  by  said  Congress,  and    resolve    to  keep  the 
same  inviolate  ourselves,  and  use  our  true  endeavors  that  oth- 
ers shall  do  the  same  "  !     This  was  meeting  the  exigencies  of 
the  times — the  true  spirit  of  the  Revolution,  and  the  pledge 
here  given  was  fully  redeemed  by  the  people  of  this  town.     It 
is  the  opinion  of  the  aged  men  of  this  town,  that  several  men 
from  Goshen  were  on  the  heights  of  Charlestown,inl775,  at 
the  ever  memorable  battle  of  Bunker  Hill ;  but  they  are  not  cer- 
tain of  more  than  one   individual,  and  he  was  John  North. 
This  individual  was  one  of  Col.  Arnold's  men,  who  that  same 
season  marched  through  the  entire  wilderness  lying  between 
Quebec  in  Canada,  and  the  shore  of  the  present  State  of  Maine. 
The  object  of  this   expedition  was  to  meet  Generals  Mont- 
gomery and  Schuyler  from  the  way  of  Lake  Champlain  and 
Montreal,  at  the   City  of  Quebec,  and  to  take  that  important 
place  by  storm.     The  march  of  Arnold  through  that  wilder- 
ness was  a  bold  and  rash  undertaking,  and  his  men  suffered 
every  thing   but  death.     Thirty-two  days  were  they  in  that 
wilderness  without  seeing  a  house  or  any  thing  human  ;  nor 
would  the  Canadians  have  been  more  surprised  perhaps,  had 
they  seen  these  men  fall  from  the  clouds,  than  they  were  wiien 
they  saw  them  come  from  the  wilderness  of  Maine.     But  the 
expedition  was  a  failure  ;  J\Iontgomery  fell  in  the  assault  upon 
the  town ;  Col.  Arnold  was  wounded,  and  some  of  his  men 
taken  prisoners.     The  remnant  of  the  army   retreated  about 
three  miles  from  the  city,  and  entered  into  winter  quarters. 
There  were  no  less  than  twenty-eight  men  from  this  town  at 
the  assault  on  Quebec  in   1775,  at  the  time  Montgomery  fell, 
twenty-seven  marched   by    the  Lake    Champlain,  and    John 
North  by  Kennebec,  under  Col.  Arnold.     But  no  one  fell  in 
battle  belonging  to  this  town,  that  year,  1775.     The  news  of 
the  disaster  at  Quebec  having  reached  Congress,  great  exer- 
tions were  made  to  recruit  the  army  in  Canada,  in  the  winter 
of  1776.     Twenty  men  enlisted  in   this  town  to  recruit   tho 
army  near  Quebec.     Ten  of  these  men  were  in  the  company 


52 

of  Captain  Titus  Watson,  of  Norfolk,  and  ten  in  the  company 
of  Captain  Luther  Stoddard  of  Salisbury.  Captain  Stoddard's 
compa^^ny  commenced  their  march  on  the  first  day  of  February, 
and  arrived  in  camp  the  first  day  of  March.  Captain  Watson's 
company  arrived  shortly  after.  Of  these  twenty  men,  six- 
teen had  the  small  pox  in  the  natural  way.  Three  of  them 
died  of  this  disease,  one  of  pleurisy,  two  of  the  camp  distemper, 
and  one  of  them,  George  Dear,  who  lived  on  Whist  Pond  Hill, 
was  killed  by  a  cannon  ball  on  Lake  Champlain,  cut  almost  in 
two  in  the  middle  ;  so  that  there  were  seven  of  the  twenty 
dead  before  the  year  had  expired  for  which  they  were  enlis- 
ted. But  one  of  these  twenty  men  is  with  us  to-day — Mr. 
Ambrose  Collins.  This  same  year,  1776,  Stephen  Goodwin  of 
East-street  was  appointed  Captain,  and  he  enlisted  sixty 
men,  fifty  of  whom  belong  to  Goshen.  They  enlisted  for  six 
months  to  go  to  New  York.  Four  of  Captain  Goodwin's  men 
died  ot  sickness.  One  was  taken  prisoner  after  being  wounded, 
and  was  never  more  heard  of  At  one  time,  this  same  season 
all  the  able  bodied  men  in  the  two  Militia  companies  in  this 
town  were  in  the  camp  at  or  near  New  York.  They  were 
commanded  by  Medad  Hills  at  the  taking  of  New  York  city 
by  the  British.  So  that  there  could  not  have  been  less  than 
one  hundred  and  twenty  soldiers  in  camp  from  this  town  a 
considerable  part  of  the  summer  and  autumn  of  1776.  Cap- 
tain Jonathan  Buel,  of  this  town,  and  now  present,  was  at 
Long  Island,  and  New  York  ;  and  at  the  time  our  troops  evac- 
uated Long  Island,  on  the  night  of  the  28th  July,  1776,  these 
withered  arms,  then  full  and  vigorous  impelled  a  boat  six  times 
across  the  sound  full  of  soldiers.  It  was  dark,  and  no  man 
was  permitted  to  speak  a  loud  word.  It  ought  to  be  mentioned 
likewise,  that  Theodore  Parmele,  son  of  Abraham  Parmele, 
commanded  a  company  of  horse  in  this  campaign  at  New 
York.  But  after  all  the  exertions  of  the  Americans,  their 
affairs  wore  a  gloomy  aspect  at  the  close  of  the  campaign  in 
1776.  The  British  arms  seemed  everywhere  to  prevail,  and 
many  in  the  colonies  were  desponding.  But  this  town  adopted 
energetic  measures  to  raise  troops  for  a  renewal  of  the  cam- 


53 

paign  in  1777.  At  a  public  town  meeting,  April  1st,  1777,  it 
was  voted  to  raise  the  quota  of  men  demanded  of  this  town. 
The  select  men  were  authorized  to  pay  a  bounty  of  ten  pounds 
lawful  money,  for  every  enlistment  for  one  year,  and  in  case 
a  soldier  enlisted  for  a  second  year  before  his  return,  he  should 
be  paid  another  ten  pounds,  for  a  bounty,  and  the  same  sum 
for  a  third  enlistment,  and  the  treasurer  of  the  town  was  au- 
thorized to  hire  money  to  defray  those  expenses.  A  com- 
mittee was  appointed  to  supply  the  families  of  the  soldiers,  if 
they  had  them,  with  necessaries  in  the  absence  of  those  men. 
How  many  enlisted  upon  those  conditions,  it  is  not  known,  the 
names  of  seven  are  recollected.  It  was  at  this  time  the  Brit- 
ish sent  a  detachment  from  New  York  to  destroy  the  public 
stores  at  Danbury.  The  news  of  this  reached  this  place  on  the 
Sabbath,  and  a  number  of  volunteers  set  out  immediately  to 
meet  the  enemy,  but  they  had  retreated  before  our  men 
arrived,  and  the  volunteers  returned  to  their  homes.  The 
same  spring  there  was  a  draft  upon  the  Militia  at  Litchfield, 
Torrington  and  Goshen  for  a  company  to  go  to  Peekskill,  on 
the  River  Hudson.  A  number  of  Goshen  men  helped  com- 
pose this  company.  There  was  another  draft  on  Goshen  for 
men  to  go  to  Peekskill  in  Sept.  of  this  year,  the  object  of  which 
was  to  prevent  the  British  passing  up  the  river  to  the  assistance 
of  Burgoyne  and  his  army.  So  many  as  ten  names  of  those  who 
went  from  this  town  on  that  expedition,  are  now  recollected 
by  the  aged  men.  The  same  month,  this  year,  there  was  a 
call  for  men  to  go  to  the  assistance  of  General  Gates,  who  was 
opposing  the  march  of  Burgoyne,  towards  Albany,  on  North 
River.  This  was  an  inspiring  subject.  The  lion  whose  march 
had  been  stately,  and  whose  roar  had  carried  dismay  to  the 
hearts  of  the  people,  was  now  in  the  toils,  and  there  was  an 
animating  hope,  that  if  efforts  were  made  corresponding  to 
the  magnitude  of  the  object,  he  might  be  taken,  and  the  coun- 
try saved  from  further  ravages  by  him,  A  town  meeting  was 
called.  Sept,  25,  1777,  and  a  bounty  of  five  pounds  was  voted 
to  every  man  who  would  enlist  for  that  expedition,  and  a  Com- 
mittee was  raised  to  supply  at  the  expense  of  the  town,  every 


54 

non-commissioned  officer  and  soldier  in  the  Continental  army^, 
with  one  shirt,  either  linen  or  woolen,  one  hunting  frock,  one 
pair  over-alls,  one  or  two  pair  of  stockings,  and  one  pair  of 
good  shoes,  and  deliver  them  to  the  commissary.  Men  with 
great  readiness  enlisted  for  this  service,  and  a  good  number 
marched  forthwith  for  the  camp.  The  names  of  thirteen  of 
this  company  are  still  retained.  These  men  were  in  nearly  all 
the  hard  fighting  preceeding  the  surrender  of  the  Royal  army, 
and  as  many  as  two  of  them  are  before  us  to-day,  Capt  Jona- 
than Buel  and  Ambrose  Collins  !  Yes,  their  eyes  saw  that 
very  General  Burgoyne  of  whom  we  read,  surrender  his 
sword  to  the  American  commander,  and  his  troops  lay  down 
their  arms,  the  very  troops  with  which  he  promised  the  Par- 
liament of  England  to  subdue  the  colonies  !  This  was  a  joy- 
ful day  to  America  !  It  was  the  ray  of  hope  that  penetrates 
and  illuminates  the  dark  cell  of  despondency — tlie  life-boat 
that  comes  to  the  shipwrecked  mariner.  The  news  was  car- 
ried as  on  angels'  winus,  and  it  inspired  every  friend  of  his 
country  with  hope  and  fresh  resolutions.  As  an  illustration 
of  the  feelings  of  many  others,  I  will  relate  an  anecdote  I  re- 
ceived a  few  days  since  from  an  aged  individual  now  present, 
but  who  cannot  hear  one  word  of  what  is  now  spoken.  He 
went  out  in  the  autumn  of  1776,  as  one  of  ninety  men  on  board 
a  Privateer,  Capt,  Day,  of  Massachusetts.  They  were  gone 
one  full  year,  took  eleven  prizes,  entered  St.  George's  Channel, 
went  in  sight  of  Bristol,  put  in  at  a  port  in  France,  and  re- 
turned in  Dec,  1777.  As  they  approached  the  American 
continent,  they  took  some  prizes,  and  their  prisoners  related 
to  them  the  successes  of  Burgoyne's  army,  and  gave  it  as  their 
belief,  that  at  that  time  the  colonies  were  conquered,  and  all 
the  ports  in  New  England  in  possession  of  the  British.  As  it 
was  a  matter  of  reality  with  their  prisoners,  their  own  hearts 
sunk  within  them  !  The  thought  of  returninj?  to  their  beloved 
country,  now  humbled  and  subdued,  waiting  to  receive  the 
portion  that  their  enemies  should  deal  out  to  them,  was  almost 
overpowering.  The  Captain  concluded  to  lie  off  for  a  time, 
east  of  Boston  harbor,  and  see  if  he  could  not  gain  some  in- 


55 

formation  from  passing  ships,  concerning  his  safety  in  entering 
that  port.  But  no  ships  appearing,  he  concluded  to  run  up 
near  the  fort  which  guards  the  harbor,  and  if  it  was  in  the 
possession  of  the  British,  he  concluded  he  should  hear  from 
them  in  season  to  make  his  escape,  or  to  humble  himself  in  the 
agonies  of  his  country.  They  approached  the  fort  without 
molestation,  and  entered  the  harbor.  As  they  entered,  they 
saw  the  tents  of  an  army  pitched  on  Bunker  Hill.  They  in- 
quired of  the  first  small  craft  that  passed  them,  "  what  tents 
those  were  on  Bunker  Ilill  ?  "  The  response  came  buoyant 
upon  the  v,'aters,  "  Burgoyne's  army,  all  prisoners  of  war  1'^ 
The  old  gentleman  added  in  an  emotion  I  never  shall  forget^ 
"  That  was  the  pleasantest  sight  iny  eyes  ever  beheld  "  1  This 
aged  man  is  Fi*ancis  Beach,  of  this  town,  aged  83. 

We  cannot  tell  the  average  number  of  soldiers  from  this 
town  in  1777,  as  some  were  in  one  enlistment  and  some  in 
another  ;  some  with  one  army,  and  some  with  another  ;  but 
we  cannot  estimate  them  less  than  fifty.  One  or  two  more 
anecdotes,  and  I  must  dismiss  the  campaign  of  1777.  Am- 
brose Collins  was  one  of  six  men  who  went  on  to  the  assist- 
ance of  the  army,  under  General  Gates,  before  there  was  the 
call  for  volunteers.  And  he  was  in  the  fiercest  part  of  the 
battle,  on  the  7th  of  October,  where  the  left  wing  of  the 
American  army  under  General  Arnold,  cnijaijed  with  the  right 
wing  of  the  British  army,  commanded  b^/  Burgoyne  in  person. 
This  battle  lasted  most  of  the  day,  and  was  not  suspended 
until  the  dusk  of  the  evening.  The  dead  and  wounded  of 
both  armies,  lay  promiscuously  togethei- ;  for  the  same  ground 
had  been  taken  and  retaken  repeatedK%  and  many  w^ere  the 
wounded,  the  dying,  and  the  dead.  Just  at  dusk,  Cyprian 
Collins,  the  father  of  Ambrose,  arrived  as  a  volunteer  at  the 
field  of  battle.  As  would  naturally  be  the  case,  he  first  sought 
for  his  son  Ambrose,  but  not  finding  him  readily  among  the 
living,  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  dead  on  the  field  of  bat- 
tle. He  soon  found  a  corpse  which  he  thought  must  be  his 
son.  He  went,  and  got  him  a  torch  light,  and  examined  it 
more  perfectly,  and  concluded  it  was  Ambrose,  and  with  feel- 


56 

lugs,  such  as  a  father  only  can  know,  he  was  in  the  act  of  re- 
moving the  body  for  burial,  when  Ambrose  came  up  to  him, 
and  addressed  him  "  father,"  in  the  well  known  voice  of  his 
son  !  We  may  imagine  the  emotions  of  father,  and  son  in  this 
interview. 

I  ought  here  to  mention  that  the  late  Colonel  Moses  Lyman, 
then  a  lieutenant  in  a  company  of  militia  belonging  to   this 
town,  arrived  at  Saratoga  on  the  evening  of  the  memorable 
7th,  havmg  in  command  some  volunteers  from  this  town,  and 
some  others  who  fell  in  with  them  while  on  their  march  for 
the  field  of  battle.     Lyman  was  well  known  to  many  of  the 
officers  in  camp,  as  he  had  been  on  several  expeditions  of  this 
kind,  especially  to  Long  Island,  and  New  York,  in  1776,  and 
to  Peekskill,  in  1777 ;  and  he  was  put  in  command  of  a  com- 
pany, of  observation,  during  the  night  of  the  7th,  to  watch  the 
movements  of  Burgoyne,  to  see  whether  he  would  advance, 
or  recede  from  the  position,  which  he  held  at  the  close  of  the 
action.     It  will  be  recollected,  that  the   sentinels  of  the  two 
hostile  armies,  were  stationed  near  each  other,  and  might  have 
hailed,  and  challenged  each  other.     But  no  movement  was  dis- 
covered in  the  British  camp  during  the  night.     Soon  after  the 
dawning  of  the  8th,  Lyman  marched  out  with  his  men,  in  view 
of  the  British  camp,  expecting  that  his  appearance  would  pro- 
voke some  kind  of  movement  on  the  part  of  the  enemy,  but 
there  was  none.     lie  advanced  nearer,  and  as  he  saw  no  ene- 
my, and  no  human  being,  except  the  slain,  or  wounded  on  the 
field  of  battle,  he  continued  to  advance,  until  he  came  to  their 
deserted  tents,  and  found  no  persons  within,  but  the  wounded 
and  dead.     He  was  the  first  to  inform  General  Gates,  that  the 
enemy  had  deserted  their  camp,  and  had  taken  another  posi- 
tion, nothing  more  secure  ;  for  indeed  at  that  time,  there  was 
no  asylum  for  the  unhappy  Burgoyne,  whose  fate  resembled 
that  of  the  victim,  who  is  almost  suffocated,  and  is  ready  to  be 
broken  under  the  contracting  and  tortuous  folds  of  the  Ana- 
conda.    There  was  no  year  of  the  war,  after  the  surrender  of 
Burgoyne's  army  in  which  so  many  soldiers  were  furnished  by 
Goshen,  as  in  1776,  and  1777,  unless  it  was  in  1779,  at  the  in- 


57 

vasion  of  New  Haven,  and  Fairfield,  when  many  volunteered 
to  repel  the  mvasion,  but  as  the  British  soon  retired,  the  sol- 
diers soon  returned.  But  all  the  demands  of  the  Congress  and 
of  the  colony  were  promptly  met  in  furnishing  men  for  the 
Continental  army,  and  the  Connecticut  line ;  and  from  year  to 
year,  town  meetings  were  held  to  raise  men  and  money  and 
to  lay  taxes  to  defray  all  expenses.  I  have  thirteen  names, 
now  recollected,  of  men  who  entered  the  Continental  army 
after  1777,  most  of  whom  enlisted  during  the  war.  John 
Norton,  fourth  son  of  David  Norton,  was  at  the  execution  of 
Major  Andre,  in  1780,  at  Tappan,  was  one  of  the  guard 
and  stood  so  near  the  unfortunate  man  as  to  hear  all  that  was 
said. 

And  that  this  town  was  true  to  her  first,  vote  of  adherence 
to  the  voice  of  Congress,  and  to  the  cause  of  her  country,  I 
will  give  a  vote  of  the  town,  passed  June  29,  1780,  when  the 
seat  of  war  had  passed  from  the  North  to  the  South,  where  the 
final  blow  was  struck,  which  decided  the  long  conteste  1  ques- 
tion of  our  Independence.  "  Voted  to  give  to  each  able  bodied, 
effective  soldier  to  the  number  of  ten,  (wliich  is  the  Quota 
now  demanded  of  this  town,)  who  shall  by  the  29th  day  of  July 
next,  enUst  into  the  Continental  battalion  for  three  years,  or 
during  the  war,  so  as  to  be  allowed  towards  our  quota,  now 
demanded,  shall  be  entitled  to  a  bounty,  over  and  above  all 
public  bounties  and  wages,  to  be  paid  out  of  the  Treasury  of 
this  town,  the  sum  of  twelve  pounds,  silver  money,  or  in  other 
money  equivalent  thereto,  for  each  six  months  they  shall  serve 
in  said  battalion,  to  be  paid  out  at  the  end  of  each  six  months  ; 
and  in  the  same  proportion  for  a  less  time  at  forty  shillings  per 
month."  To  this  bounty  they  added  ten  shillings  per  month 
before  the  meeting  adjourned,  and  voted  the  same  to  those 
who  had  enlisted  since  the  first  day  of  .April,  and  to  all  who 
should  enlist  before  the  first  day  of  September. 

Just  let  us  look  at  the  magnitude  of  this  vote,  for  a  small 
town  oppressed  with  other  taxes.     We  will  take  the  number 
ten,  the  least  number  specified  for  three  years.     Their  bounty 
8 


58 

will  amount  to  2400  dollars,  and  if  the  war  continued  five 
years,  and  they  continued  in  service,  their  bounty  would 
amount  to  4000  dollars.  But  it  seems  that  other  soldiers  had 
enlisted,  and  it  was  expected  and  hoped  that  more  would  en- 
list before  September ;  yet  all  were  to  share  the  same  !  I 
ask,  do  we  see  any  thing  like  this  devotion  to  country  now  ? 
Nothing  like  it ;  I  say,  nothing.  And  yet  when  we  speak  of 
deterioration  in  their  sons,  both  in  moral  principle  and  in  true 
magnanimity  of  spirit  and  patriotism,  we  are  almost  denounc- 
ed as  defamers,  and  more  in  love  with  antiquity,  than  with  the 
"  spirit  of  the  times."  But  facts  will  speak  for  themselves, 
and  they  will  speak  in  louder  accents,  the  further  we  go  from 
the  generations  that  have  passed  away.  It  is  my  full  conviction 
that  the  generations  which  took  possession  of  this  wilderness, 
repelled  the  assaults  of  the  ferociou  ?  inhabitants,  destroyed  the 
beasts  of  prey,  subdued  the  forest,  broke  the  tough  soil,  and 
then  defended  it  by  two  long  and  bloody  wars  at  the  expense 
of  ease,  wealth  and  blood,  were  such  as  the  same  world  pro- 
duces but  once,  and  that  we  are  not  to  expect  to  see  their  like 
again  !  There  will  be  a  holier  generation,  a  happier  genera- 
tion, but  they  will  not  be  prepared  by  a  holy  Providence  to  do 
the  things  that  were  done  by  the  Pilgrims  of  New  England, 
and  their  immediate  successors.  Nor  do  we  speak  of  these 
men  only,  but  their  mothers,  their  wives,  and  their  daughters 
were  like  them.  They  were  worthy  of  such  men,  worthy  of 
our  gratitude,  and  worthy  of  our  eulogies.  They  sustained 
their  full  share  in  all  the  trials  and  dangers  of  the  Ocean,  of 
the  wilderness,  and  of  war  !  Their  courage  in  times  of  peril, 
and  their  fortitude  in  trials  never  forsook  them  !  They  gave 
up  their  husbands  and  their  sons  for  the  cause  of  God  and 
their  country,  and  their  example  was  all  powerful.  And  this 
was  true,  not  only  of  Pilgrim  women,  but  of  women  in 
the  Revolution.  This  town  possessed  them.  I  will  give 
one  instance  of  this,  that  it  may  be  a  memorial  of  her.  Abra- 
ham Parmele  was  a  warm  patriot  in  the  Revolution,  and 
shrunk  not  from   any  demand  of  him  ;  but  in  tliis,  it  is  said,  he 


59 

was  thrown  into  the  shade  by  the  patriotism  of  his  wife,  Mary 
Stanley  that  was.  She  was  fixed  in  the  righteousness  of  the 
cause  of  the  Colonies,  and  when  war  broke  out,  she  said  they 
would  prevail !  She  said  she  could  pray  for  the  cause  of 
America;  and  not  in  the  darkest  period  of  the  conflict,  when 
many  faces  were  pale,  aud  many  hands  were  on  their  loins, 
did  this  woman's  confidence  fail  her  in  the  least,  and  her  actions 
corresponded  with  her  words.  Four  different  times  did  she 
fit  out  her  own  son  Theodore,  for  the  battle  field,  and  gave 
him  her  parting  blessing  ;  and  with  her  own  hands  did  she 
make  five  soldier's  blankets,  not  to  sell,  but  sent  them  a  present 
to  the  poor  soldiers,  who  after  the  battles  of  the  day,  had 
neither  bed,  nor  covering  for  the  night.  Could  soldiers,  thus 
sustained,  ever  relinquish  the  cause  of  their  Country  1    Never. 

I  mentioned  in  the  course  of  the  narration  that  George 
Dear  of  this  town,  who  lived  on  the  North  side  of  Whist  Pond 
Hill,  was  killed  by  a  cannon  ball  on  Lake  Champlain,  in  the 
war  of  the  Revolution.  He  and  Timothy  Gaylord  of  West 
Street,  who  was  killed  in  the  old  French  war,  were  the  only 
persons  of  this  town  who  were  ever  known  to  have  been  killed 
in  battle  since  the  settlement  of  the  town.  This  is  to  be 
acknowledged  with  thankfulness  to  Him  who  saveth  from 
death  in  the  day  of  battle,  whilst  we  at  this  distance  of  time, 
mourn  for  the  fallen  of  our  towns-men,  and  would  sympathise 
with  the  bereaved. 

But  although  so  few  fell  in  battle,  yet  many  were  the  dead 
of  this  town.  Sickness  was  the  great  destroyer  of  our  soldiers. 
I  cannot  ascertain  the  number  of  those  who  died  of  sickness, 
but  they  were  many.  The  Campaign  of  1776  was  very  fatal 
to  our  men.  A  number  were  taken  away  by  the  small  pox, 
and  still  more  by  the  camp  distemper.  Especially  was  this 
true  of  the  soldiers  who  went  that  year  to  New  York  and 
Ivong  Island.  A  number  died  in  Camp  :  others  were  dismissed 
on  account  of  sickness,  and  died  while  they  were  striving  to 
reach  their  home.  Abraham  Beach,  and  Martin  Beach,  cousins, 
and  both  Grand-sons  of  Deacon  John  Beach  of  East  Street, 
reached  Milford  in  this  State,  but  there  died,  and  one  grave 


60 

received  them.  Thomas  Lucas,  a  young  man  of  27  years,  and 
of  great  promise  to  this  town,  left  New  York  with  this  disease 
upon  him.  His  friends  heard  of  his  condition,  and  Allen  Lucas, 
his  brother,  and  the  Father  of  Olive  and  David  Lucas,  went 
out  to  meet  him  and  bring  him  in.  The  brothers  met  under 
affecting  circumstances.  Thomas  says  to  Allen,  "  Brother  I 
am  glad  to  see  you,  I  hope  I  shall  live  to  get  home,  and  not  die 
under  the  fence  as  some  do."  He  reached  his  home  and  died 
in  ten  days  !  Oh,  what  distresses  did  that  cruel  war  of  eight 
years  bring  upon  this  infant  nation  !  They  are  written  and 
most  of  them  sealed  up  for  the  great  day,  and  we  must  repress 
all  further  desire  to  break  the  seal,  and  to  read  the  Book  at 
this  time. 

From  the  acknowledgment  of  the  Independence  of  these 
States  in  1783,  by  England  and  other  nations,  our  town  and 
country  have  held  on  the  even  tenor  of  their  way,  and  it  has 
been  prosperous  with  occasional  interruptions.  The  war  of 
1812  brought  its  calamities,  but  it  was  maintained  in  a  manner  so 
different  from  the  wars  preceding  it,  and  was  so  exclusively  in 
the  hands  of  Congress,  that  towns  in  the  interior,  as  towns,  did 
little  more  than  pay  their  taxes,  and  read  their  News-papers. 
The  public  records  will  tell  all  the  story  to  the  generations  to 
come. 

I  will  here  state  that  during  the  war  of  the  Revolution  there 
were  three  Pest  houses  established  in  this  to wn,whe rein  persons 
were  inoculated  with  the  small  pox.  One  on  Whist  Pond  hill, 
one  about  half  a  mile  East  of  Robert  Palmer's,  and  one  where 
Timothy  Wadhams  now  lives.  In  this  last  house  one  patient 
was  lost,  by  the  name  of  Joel  Davis,  as  I  learn  from  the  old 
men. 

The  question  often  arises,  was  this  town  ever  the  permanent 
residence  of  Indians  1  And  this  question  may  have  arisen  in 
the  minds  of  many  on  hearing  of  houses  here,  fortified  in  the 
early  settlement.  I  think  we  have  no  sufficient  evidence  to 
convince  us  that  a  tribe  of  Indians  was  ever  permanently  estab- 
lished here.  Their  camps,  when  located  from  choice  and 
not  from  necessity,  were  found  on  soft,  and  dry  soil,  in  vallies 
and  upon  the  banks  of  streams  and  rivers,  where  they   might 


61 

raise  corn  and  pulse  in  the  use  of  such  implements  as  they 
possessed,  and  where  they  might  take  fish.  This  town  was 
not  adapted  to  their  necessities,  like  the  towns  of  Farmington, 
New  Milford,or  the  bottom  lands  on  the  Housatonicin  general. 
But  that  they  visited  this  place  for  hunting  in  certain  seasons 
of  the  year,  is  beyond  a  question.  None  can  doubt  that  these 
hills  and  vallies  were  once  well  stocked  with  such  meats  as  the 
Indian  craves  for  his  food,  and  with  such  furs  as  he  needed  for 
clothing  and  for  trade.  Moose,  Bear,  Deer,  Beaver,  Otter, 
Mink,  and  Muskrats  would  resort  hither  when  it  was  no 
longer  safe  for  them  to  appear  in  the  valleys  below.  Many  of 
these  animals  were  abundant  in  the  town  at  its  settlement. 
Within  the  memory  of  one  now  present,  Jacob  Beach  of  the 
North  part  of  the  town,  took  in  traps  and  by  other  means, 
seventeen  bears  in  one  year.  Samuel  Wilcox  killed  sixteen 
another  year.  Said  Beach  killed  four  wolves  in  one  year,  and 
took  £16  bounty  for  their  heads.  Francis  Beach  relates  that 
he  has  seen  four  deer  at  once,  and  at  another  time  three  wolves, 
and  that  it  was  no  uncommon  thing  for  him  to  fall  in  with  a 
bear  in  his  rambles  in  the  woods,  and  sometimes  they  were 
destructive  to  their  fields  of  wheat  and  corn,  and  sometimes  to 
their  herds  of  swine.  And  we  have  repeated  mention  made 
in  our  Town  records,  of  bounties  given  for  lulling  wolves,  and 
of  fines  collected  for  killing  deer  contrary  to  law.  Now  would 
Indians  suffer  these  dainties  to  fatten  here  and  perish,  and  they 
not  regale  themselves  on  this  savory  meat,  or  line  their  jackets 
with  the  furs  at  the  approach  of  winter  ?  Impossible  !  Be- 
sides, Indian  arrow  heads,  and  other  equipments  for  the  chase, 
have  been  found  in  great  abundance  in  this  place,  especially 
on  the  sides  of  the  hills  and  in  the  valleys  between  the  dwelling 
of  Capt.  Timothy  Collins,  and  the  widow  Lucy  Street  ; 
also  in  the  vicinity  of  each  of  the  ponds  at  the  west  end  of  the 
town.  At  the  North-west  side  of  Dog  Pond,  on  a  high  and  dry 
point  of  land,  some  distance  from  the  pond,  there  were  found 
in  the  early  settlement  of  the  town,  large  quantities  of  mus- 
cle shells,  that  had  been  taken  from  the  pond,  carried  there, 
and  their  contents  feasted  upon  by  the  Indians.     Moses  Cook^ 


62 

senior,  has  ploughed  through  them,  and  thinks  their  fertilizing 
qualities  may  be  traced  in  the  vegetation  to  the  present  day. 
And,  indeed,  the  practice  of  Old  Whist  coming  from  Farming- 
ton  every  year  after  the  town  was  settled  to  spend  the  milder 
part  of  the  season  around  his  favorite  pond,  until  like  thousands 
of  others,  he  lost  his  life  in  the  pursuit  of  pleasure,  teaches  us 
that  Goshen  was  the  Indian's  summer  Elysium  :  That  hither 
came  the  newly  wedded  pair,  to  meet  newly  acquired  connex- 
ions, to  be  introduced,  to  compare  agility  and  strength,  and  to 
rejoice  in  all  the  gifts  of  nature  !     But  although  this  was  not 
the  permanent  residence  of  the  Indian,  this  might  not  preclude 
the  necessity  of  fortifying  houses  against  an  Indian  foe.     For 
if  once  aroused  by  the  demon  spirit  of  war,  he  went  through 
the  wilderness  like  a  spirit,  and  in  the  moment  of  falling  upon 
his  prey  he  crouched  like  a  leopard,  he  bounded  from  his  copse, 
and  the  unprotected  fell  a  sacrifice  to  his  ferocity  !     I  suppose 
some  of  my  little  friends,  the  little  boys  and  girls,  will  wish  me 
to  tell  them  some  things  about  the  condition  of  their  schools 
and  school-houses  in   those  early  days   of  our  ancestors,     I 
must  do  it  in  few  words.     The  Government  of  the  Colony 
granted  to  the  town  one  right  of  land,  the  use  of  which  was  to 
be  forever  appropriated  to  the  benefit  of  schools.     But  such 
was  the  pressure  of  the  times,  and  such  the  state  of  the  roads 
for  many  years,  but  little  was  done  to  furnish  competent  in- 
struction for  children.  An  old  gentleman  of  eighty-three  years, 
told  me  a  few  days  ago,  that  while  under  age,  he  never  had 
lived  nearer  a  school  house  than  four  and  ahalf  miles,  and  that 
he  never  attended  school  a  day  in  his  life :  but  his   mother 
taught  him  to  read  and  write  some,  and  he  applied  himself,  and 
thus  saved  him  from  the  calamity  of  knowing  nothing.     The 
first  school  house  that  was  ever  built  in  this  town,  stood  about 
ten  rods  North-east  of  the  dwelling  house   of  Thomas  Gris- 
wold,  near  the  corner  on  your  left,  as  you  cross  the  meadow 
and  turn  south  to  go  to  Mr.  Griswold's  house.     The  second 
house,  and  built  nearly   the  same  time,  stood  twenty   rods 
south  from  the  house  of  Mr.  Street,  late  deceased.     From 


63 

tlMs  time  school  districts  were  organized,  one  after  another^ 
and  school  houses  were  built  until  all  were  supplied  as  at  this 
day.  Children,  be  mindful  of  your  present  advantages,  im- 
prove them  as  faithfully  as  did  the  old  Gentleman  to  whom  I 
referred,  and  you  may  be  happy  and  useful  in  life. 

It  is  said,  the  following  is  a  Ust  of  clergymen  born  in  this 
town,  Noah  Wadhams,  Elisha  Parmele,  Reuben  Parmele, 
Luther  Hart,  Darius  O.  Griswold,  Abraham  Baldwin,  Theron 
Baldwin,  William  Thompson,  Orlo  Bartholomew,  Ephraim 
Lyman,  Mark  Ives,  John  F.  Norton,  and  Augustus  C.  Thomp- 
son— thirteen.  The  following  Physicians  were  born  in  this 
town,  Joseph  North,  senior,  Gideon  Thompson,  Isaac  Humph- 
rey, Daniel  Lyman,  Hunn  Beach,  Isaac  Pratt,  Westal  Wil- 
oughby,  Elisha  North,  Joseph  North,  Jr.,  Ethel  North,  Ezekiel 
North,  Stephen  Stanley,  Daniel  Goodwin,  Horace  V.  Beach, 
Henry  Denison,  William  Denison,  Alfred  C.  Thomson,  Silas 
Wright,  Albert  Wright,  Isaac  H.  Brown, — twenty.  Judges, 
Samuel  Lyman,  Birdsey  Norton,  Moses  Lyman,  Augustus 
Baldwin,  John  Newton,  Orson  Oviatt,  Van  R.  Humphrey — 
seven.  Samuel  Lyman  was  second  son  of  Dea.  Moses  lay- 
man, a  graduate  of  Yale  College,  a  lawyer  in  the  city  of  Hart- 
ford, succeeded  the  late  Governor  at  the  head  of  the  Pay- 
table  office  in  this  State,  removed  to  Springfield,  Mass.,  was 
a  member  of  Congress  a  number  of  years,  and  died  while  sus- 
taining the  office  of  judge  in  that  State.  Lawyers,  Joab  Gris- 
wold, Theodore  Sill,  Ebenezer  F.  Norton,  Darius  Lyman, 
Theodore  North,  Birdsey  Baldwin,  Marcus  Humphrey,  Eb- 
enezer Newton,  Daniel  Raymond,  and  David  Raymond — ten. 
Men  who  have  received  the  honors  of  College,  but  have  not 
entered  into  a  Profession,  are  Solomon  Wadhams,  Truman 
Starr,  Ephraim  Starr,  Frederick  A.  Norton,  Willard  Wad- 
ams,  and  Theodore  S.  Gold — six.  We  have  had  two  Gen- 
erals of  the  Militia,  David  Thompson,  and  Moses  Cook,  Jr. 

I  shall  now  give  a  concise  but  connected  view  of  the  ec- 
clesiastical concerns  of  this  Church  and  Society,  and  with 
this  I  shall  dismiss  my  statistics. 

The  Church  in  this  place  was  organized,  Nov.  1740,  and 
the  Rev.  Stephen  Heaton  was  ordained  at  the  same  time  Pas- 


64 

tor.  He  continued  to  sustain  that  relation  until  June,  175?J,  3 
He  was  then  dismissed  from  his  charge,  and  the  Rev.  Abel 
Newell  was  settled  over  the  Church  and  people  on  the  2d 
Tue&day  of  June,  1755.  He  sustained  this  relation  until  Jan- 
uary 30th,  1781.  He  was  then  dismissed,  and  the  Rev.  Jo- 
siah  Sherman  installed  their  Pastor  in  the  summer  of  1782. 
He  sustained  this  relation  but  about  seven  years,  and  was 
dismissed  in  the  spring  of  1789.  Sept.  7th,  1791,  Rev.  Asahel 
Hooker  was  ordained  their  Pastor,   and  from  this  period  we 

can  avail  ourselves  of  Church  Records.     Previous  to  this,  all 

*  .      .  .  . 

our  information   relative   to  ecclesiastical  concerns  is  derived 

from  the  Town  Records,  or  private  writings  of  individuals,  or 
the  recollection  of  aged  people.  We  cannot  therefore  say 
much  of  revivals  or  nigatherings  into  the  Church  prior  to  the 
settlement  of  Mr.  Hooker  ;  but  quite  a  number  were  received 
under  the  Ministry  of  Mr.  Sherman,  and  some  were  excinded 
from  the  Church.  It  was  a  day  of  trouble  in  Israel.  At  the 
time  when  Mr.  Hooker  was  ordained,  the  Church  consisted  of 
111  members,  nor  was  there  more  than  an  ordinary  enlarge- 
ment, until  1799,  when  72  were  received.  That  year  this 
Church  and  people  experienced  wonderful  measures  of  grace  I 
The  Lord  was  coming  down  to  revive  the  work  of  1736  to 
1745  in  New  England,  and  it  pleased  him  to  visit  this  place. 
From  all  I  can  learn  of  it,  it  was  the  greatest  work  of  grace 
ever  experienced  m  this  town.  I  have  observed  that  the  old 
people,  and  those  who  were  savingly  wrought  upon  at  that 
time,  can  seldom  speak  of  it  but  with  meltings  of  heart,  and  with 
a  kind  of  awe  in  view  of  the  power  and  grace  of  God,  which 
they  witnessed  and  felt.  There  was  another  revival  in  1807, 
which  added  to  the  church  twenty-five.  In  1808,  thirty  more 
were  added,  the  revival  being  continued  into  that  year.  Mr. 
Hooker  took  his  dismission  from  this  Church  and  people,  June 
12th,  1810,  and  the  Rev.  Joseph  Harvey  succeeded  him  in  this 
charge,  Oct.  24th,  1810,  and  continued  his  Ministry  nearly 
fifteen  years.  He  was  dismissed  Sept.,  1825.  During  the 
Ministry  of  Mr.  Harvey,  two  seasons  of  revival  were  experi- 
enced.    In  the  year  1816,  twenty  were  added  to  the  Church, 


65 

'aftd  in  1821,  forty  more  were  added,     February    1st,  1826, 
Rev.  Francis  H.    Case  was  ordained  Pastor  of  this  Church 
and   people.     Mr.  Case  sustained  his  relation  to  this  Church 
and  people  two  years  and  a  half,  and  was  dismissed,  Sept  30th, 
1828.     In  this  time  a  revival  of  religion  was  enjoyed  which 
brought  in  sixty-two  persons.     In  1828,  the  Congregational 
Church  in   the  North  part  of  this   town  was  organized,  and 
thirty  persons  were  dismissed  from  this  Church  to  help  con- 
stitute that.     By  reason  of  this,  and  on  account  of  previous 
subtractions  by  Baptist  and  Methodist  denominations  at  the 
North  and  West,  this  Ecclesiastical  Society  does  not  embrace 
more  than  one-third  part  of  the  number  of  the  inhabitants,  that 
it  did  in  1791.     The  present  incumbent  in  office  was  installed 
Pasktor,   August   27th,  1829.     The  Church  consists  of  139 
members,  forty  Males,  and  ninety-nine   Females.     Sixty-nine 
of  these  have  been  added  since  1829.     Thirty  of  these  were 
received  as   the   fruit  of  a   revival  in  1831,    and  ten    of  a 
brief   revival    in    1835.     489  Persons  have  been  members 
of  this   Church   since   1791.      350  are  removed   by    death 
or     otherwise.       The    greater     portion     took     letters     of 
commendation  to  Churches  in  the  West.     There  have  been 
seventy  baptisms  in  the  last  nine  years.     In  regard  to  Meet- 
ing houses,  I  would  state,  that  the  first  house  by  the  Old  Ash 
Tree,  was  improved  occasionally  by  the  people  for  worship 
five  years,  from  1739  to  1744.     The  2d,  the  Old  Yellow  house, 
with  double  galleries,  served  them  twenty-six  years,  from  1744 
to  1770.     The   3d   house,  which  was  removed  to  make  way 
for  this,  sixty-two  years  from  1770  to  1832,  and  this  has  stood 
six  years.     Sixteen  persons  have  sustained  the  office  of  Dea- 
con in  this  Church.     John  Beach,  Gideon  Thomson,  and  Na- 
thaniel Baldwin    were  the   three  first  Deacons  from   1740. 
Moses  Lyman  succeeded  Dea    Gideon  Thomson,  who  died, 
May,  1759.    Samuel  Nash  succeeded  Dea.  Nathaniel  Baldwin, 
who  died  17G0.     Ebenezer  Norton   succeeded  Dea.  Moses 
Lyman,  who  died  1768.  Edmund  Beach  succeeded  his  Father, 
Dea.  John  Beach,  who  died,  1773.     Stephen  Thomson  suc- 
ceeded Dea.  Ebenezer  Norton,  who  died  1784.     Samuel  Nor- 
9 


66 

ton  succeeded  the  resignation  ofDea.  Stephen  Thomson,  1798. 
Nathan  Hale  and  Jesse  Stanley  succeeded  Deacons  Edmund 
Beach  and  Samuel  Nash,  both  resigning  on  account  of  infirmi- 
ty of  years,  1800.  Daniel  Norton  succeeded  Dea.  Nathan 
Hale,  deceased,  1811.  Henry  Hart  succeeded  Dea.  Daniel 
Norton,  deceased  1815.  Augustus  Thomson  succeeded  Dea. 
Samuel  Norton,  resigned  on  account  of  infirmity,  1817. 
George  Stanley  succeeded  Dea.  Augustus  Thomson,  removed 
to  Norwich,  1831.  Lewis  M.  Norton  succeeded  Dea.  Henry 
Hart,  removed  to  Illinois,  1835.  Here  I  promised  to  suspend 
my  statement  of  statistics.  I  do  it  amidst  a  profusion  of  inte- 
resting facts.  I  do  it  with  no  ordinary  sacrifice  of  feeling,  but 
absolutely,  my  strength  and  your  patience  can  endure  no 
longer.     But  I  offer  a  reflection. 

What  a  re  vealer  of  secrets  is  time  !  How  remote  from  the 
minds  of  our  Fathers  were  the  leading  events  of  the  last  Cen- 
tury, when  they  came  up  from  Old  Bantayn  to  the  New,  and 
entered  this  wilderness  !  What  mighty  changes  have  taken 
place  in  the  face  of  Nature  here  !  What  revolutions,  in  our  po- 
litical relations  and  our  civil  institutions  !  And  not  only  in  ours, 
but  in  every  civilized  nation  upon  earth  !  And  not  less  impor- 
tant have  been  the  changes  in  the  aspect  of  Science,  Litera- 
ture, and  Religion  !  As  we  now  contemplate  the  relative  po- 
sition of  our  Fathers  in  regard  to  time  and  events,  they  seem 
to  have  stood  in  the  birth-place  of  nations,  and  as  they  were 
called  to  sympathize  in  the  throes  of  nature  to  produce  her 
largest  gifts  for  a  world,  so  they  participated  in  the  joy  of  the 
free  and  the  blessed.  But  all  these  things  were  in  the  counsels 
of  Him  who  hath  the  end  from  the  beginning,  and  with  whom 
there  is  nothing  new.  But  this  view  of  the  subject  teaches  us 
how  little  we  know  of  the  future,  and  how  great  may  be  the 
vicissitudes  through  which  we  and  our  children  may  be  called 
to  pass !  Another  revolution  is  in  motion.  Nature  again 
travails,  and  whether  the  result  will  be  for  the  weal  or  woe 
of  the  present  generation  of  men  is  known  only  to  him  who 
holds  the  destinies  of  all  in  his  hands.  One  thing  is  certain, 
we  must  go  the  way  of  our  Fathers.  We  already  stand  above 
their  ashes,  and  every  memorial  of  theirs  preaches   to  us  the 


67 

brevity  of  life,  its  emptiness,  and  the  all  importance  of  a  saving 
interest  in  Jesus  Christ.  Let  us  hear  with  all  readiness,  the 
instructions  of  God's  w^ord,  and  of  these  merciful  monitors, 
and  hearing,  may  we  obey  !  May  we  like  our  fathers,  not 
only  provide  Gospel  instruction  for  ourselves,  but  for  our  de- 
scendants likewise  :  and  like  them,  may  we  strive  to  lead  our 
wives  and  children  into  the  Ark  of  safety.  Then,  when 
another  shall  here  address  that  far  distant  generation  on  an 
occasion  like  the  present,  although  we  are  dead,  and  our 
children  are  dead,  may  both  we  and  they  be  triumphantly 
happy  :  triumphantly  glorious. 


APPENDIX. 


The  hard  winter  of  1 779  and  80,  as  given  by  the  old  people  of  the  town, 
and  authenticated  by  some  manuscript  papers. — The  severity  of  this  winter 
set  in  about  Dec.  20,  1779,  and  more  or  less  snow  fell  forty  successive  days 
and  there  were  heavy  winds  much  of  the  time.  It  was  so  cold  that  for  six 
weeks,  the  snow  did  not  yield  to  the  influence  of  the  sun  upon  the  roofs  of 
the  houses,  The  snow  became  very  deep.  Some  orchards  were  so  buried  in 
snow,  that  scarcely  a  twig  was  visible.  The  fences  were  all  covered.  The 
house  of  John  Thompson,  North  of  Robert  Palmer's  was  nearly  covered,  and 
a  passage  was  dug  under  the  snow  from  the  road  to  the  door  of  the  house,  a 
distance  of  several  rods.  In  March,  the  snow  was  four  feet  deep  in  the  woods, 
and  so  hard  that  oxen  could  travel  upon  it.  At  the  usual  time  of  making 
sugar,  the  fences  were  buried  in  snow.  Many  sheep  and  some  cattle  had 
been  buried  alive.  Public  worship  on  the  Sabbath  was  maintained,  but  very 
few  attended  besides  those  who  went  on  snow  shoes.  The  same  contrivance 
for  a  long  time  furnished  the  only  means  of  communication  between  East  and 
Middle  street,  and  indeed  between  all  the  diiFerent  parts  of  the  town.  These 
snow  shoes  were  made  to  a  considerable  extent  by  Lieut  Cyprian  Collins,  and 
so  great  was  the  demand  for  them  at  that  time,  that  several  old  horses  were 
killed,  that  their  raw  hides  might  be  used  in  the  manufacture.  The  people, 
until  the  snow  became  so  solid  as  to  bear  oxen,  drew  their  grains  to  mill  on 
hand  sleds.  The  little  business  that  was  done  consisted  chiefly  in  going  to  mill, 


68 

feeding  their  stock,  and  maintaining  their  fires.  But  few  faraiiies  attempted 
to  drive  their  cattle  to  water  ;  and  the  cattle  soon  learned  to  supply  the  de- 
ficiency by  eating  snow. 

This  state  of  things  remained  until  the  latter  part  of  March,  and  then  the 
weather  became  mild,  the  snow  wasted  gradually  without  a  flood,  and  the 
spring  opened  in  usual  time. 

Tnis  winter  proved  destructive  to  the  deer  in  this  county,  for  until  the  snow 
became  so  solid  as  to  bear  up  deer  as  well  as  wolves  and  dogs,  they  were 
hunted  and  destroyed  without  mercy,  and  they  never  recovered  from  that 
slaughter. 

It  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  those  who  shall  come  after  us  to  state  in 
this  connexion,  that  the  winter  of  1835  and  6  was  an  unusually  hard  winter. 
It  set  in  on  the  23d  of  Nov.  1835,  and  sledding  and  sleighing  were  maintained 
uninterruptedly  to  the  17th  of  April,  1836,  making  147  days,  or  twenty -one 
weeks  !  There  were  many  days  of  extreme  cold.  On  the  16th  of  Dec.  1835 
mercury  here  fell  to  fourteen  degrees  below  zero,  at  the  city  of  Hartford 
twenty-seven  degrees  below,  at  Woodstock  Vt.,  to  forty  degrees  below,  and 
at  Franconia,  N.  H.,  to  forty  degrees  below,  or  76  degrees  below  the  freezing 
point.  In  all  parts  the  mercury  fell  lower  in  the  vallies  than  on  the  hills. 
Many  of  the  old  people  who  could  well  remember  the  former  hard  winter 
thought  there  were  more  extreme  cold  days  in  the  latter  than  in  the  former, 
but  the  cold  not  so  uniform,  and  the  snow   not  so  deep  at  any  one  time. 

Respecting  Episcopalians  in  Goshen  it  may  be  stated  ;  that  as  early  as  1767, 
and  sometime  afterwards,  the  part  of  the  ministerial  tax  which  was  collected 
from  "  churchmen"  was  by  a  vote  of  the  town  annually  paid  over  to  "  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Palmer."  Whether  this  Mr.  Palmer  was  a  resident  here  is  not  known. 
A  house  of  worship  for  persons  of  this  denomination  was  erected  about  that 
time,  at  the  South  end  of  East  Street  grave  yard  ;  and  meetings  were  held  in 
jt  with  more  or  less  of  frequency  for  several  years.  This  house  was  respectable 
in  size,  but  was  never  finished  within,  or  painted  without.  The  Episcopalians 
as  such  did  not  flourish  here,  and  their  house  becoming  useless  to  them,  was 
bargained  to  the  North  East  winter  parish,  whither  it  was  removed  in  1793. 
It  was  placed  on  nearly  the  same  spot  where  stands  the  present  North  meeting 
house,  but  was  never  fitted  up  for  use.  In  the  memorable  storm  of  March, 
1796,  it  was  blown  down,  and  the  present  house  was  first  erected  not  long 
afterwards. 

Respecting  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  this  town,  the  following  sta. 
tistics  are  given. 

The  first  sermon  was  by  Mr.  Canfield,  at  the  house  of  Capt.  Jabez  Wright, 
on  the  last  day  of  Dec.  1797. 

The  first  quarterly  meeting  was  held  in  the  barn  of  the  said  Wright,  in  July 
of  1798. 

The  first  meeting  house  was  on  the  same  ground  as  the  present  one,  in 
Canada  Village,  and  was  built  in  1809,  and  1810.  This  was  painted  red. 
The  present  neat  and  commodious  house  was  erected  in  1836. 


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